KIDS COUNT
What do the data tell us about how children and families are faring in New York? The 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book from The Annie E. Casey Foundation uses trusted data to show where kids are making progress — and where challenges persist — across four domains: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.
As the official New York KIDS COUNT partner, Schuyler Center brings together data, analysis, and advocacy to make a difference for New York’s children.
The KIDS COUNT data books help answer the question:
How are New York’s children doing?
They focus on the key indicators of:
New York's Scores:
558
Overall
Just above the national score of 547
768
Health
8th in the nation, with only 3% of children uninsured
406
Economic Wellbeing
700,000, or 18%, of New York children live in poverty
For the first time this year, states receive a comprehensive score (from 0 to 1,000) in the Data Book, not just a ranking. The scores track 16 indicators in four domains — economic wellbeing, education, health, and family and community factors — over a five-year period from 2019 to 2024. The new scoring system shows whether policies and public investment are actually improving children’s lives, not merely how states compare to each other.
New York State received a score of 558, just above the national score of 547, with highest scores in the child health domain where New York scores 768 out of 1,000 and ranks 8th in the nation, highlighting the fact that only 3% of New York children are uninsured.
New York’s lowest scores, however, fall in the economic wellbeing domain, where New York scores just 406 out of 1,000. In particular, the data show that approximately 700,000, or 18% of New York children live in poverty, while 37% of children in New York live in households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
30th
In the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Books, New York ranked 30th in the nation in overall child wellbeing.
New York Ranks:
46th
Economic Wellbeing
46th
Housing Affordability
38th
Family & Community
8th
Health
News Coverage
Commentary: Why are we choosing to let one in five N.Y. children live in poverty? – Times Union, 6/10/26
Schuyler Center breaks down 2026 Kids Count data showing N.Y. ranks 30th in nation in overall child health – Capital Tonight on Spectrum News, 6/16/26
Launch Event
On June 9th, Schuyler Center celebrated the release of the 2026 Data Book and launch of our partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation with an official launch event at the Blake Annex in Albany. Partners, advocates, and legislators joined us in a discussion about the data and next steps for New York State.
Dedicated to public policy solutions that improve the wellbeing of New York’s families, Schuyler Center takes a data-driven approach to identify challenges, generate solutions, and hold government accountable.
As the New York KIDS COUNT partner organization, Schuyler Center will grow its capacity to make a difference for New York’s children by tracking data and serving as a resource on the key indicators of child wellbeing.
KIDS COUNT is a platform of the Annie E. Casey Foundation that provides legislators, public officials, and child advocates with reliable data, policy recommendations, and tools to advance policies that benefit children and youth. Each state — as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — is represented by a KIDS COUNT partner that operates independently from the Casey Foundation.
