Where are US Youth at Greatest Risk and Why? States Ranked on 6 Key Indicators

Poverty, poor health, limited education, and absence of role models are only a few of the negative variables that can undermine a young person's transition to adulthood. And those early physical, emotional, and social deficits may have long-lasting consequences for adult potential and behavior.

A recent comparison by WalletHub of the 50 states and District of Columbia looked at key indicators of youth risk, using publicly available data ranging from a state's youth labor force participation and high school graduation rates to its percentage of youth drug users and youth who are overweight or obese.

Following are the 5 states ranked highest and lowest on 6 prime indicators used in the composite overall scoring. Note: Youth are individuals aged 18 to 24 years.