The 15 best US states for working mothers

But, according to a recent survey from personal finance site WalletHub, it's easier done in some states than others.

To find the best states for moms who work outside the home, WalletHub assigned each US state and Washington DC a score based on numerous factors, including women's median annual salary adjusted for the cost of living, daycare quality, the gender pay gap, childcare costs adjusted for the median women's salary, and the female unemployment rate. The rankings also assigned each state a parental leave policy score, based on this 2016 study from the National Partnership for Women and Families.

To read more about the study's methodology, check out the full report here.

Here are the top 15 states for working mothers:

15. District of Columbia

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,292

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 26.70%

Average length of a woman's work week: 38.7 hours

Parental leave ranking: 2

The capital of the US has the second lowest gender pay gap in the rankings and the second best parental leave policies.

14. Indiana

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $40,642

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 17.36%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.4 hours

Parental leave ranking: 34

Indiana has the fourth highest women's median salary out of all 50 states and Washington DC.

13. Wisconsin

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,940

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 23.85%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.1 hours

Parental leave ranking: 16

Wisconsin's high quality day cares and schools launch the Badger State to the 13th spot on the list.

12. Montana

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $34,048

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 21.06%

Average length of a woman's work week: 34.8 hours

Parental leave ranking: 20 (tie)

Montana enjoys a low female unemployment rate and a brief average commute time of only 16.5 minutes.

11. Oregon

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $33,075

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 19.76%

Average length of a woman's work week: 34.2 hours

Parental leave ranking: 8

The Pacific Northwest state has one of the shortest work weeks on the list, coming in third with an average of 34.2 hours.

10. Illinois

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $41,382

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 19.90%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.6 hours

Parental leave ranking: 10 (tie)

Women in Illinois have the third highest median annual salary of all 50 states.

9. New York

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,385

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 23.96%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.9 hours

Parental leave ranking: 3

The Empire State boasts the highest quality day cares on the list, along with one of the lowest gender pay gaps (coming in at 86.9%).

8. Rhode Island

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,387

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 25.19%

Average length of a woman's work week: 34.5 hours

Parental leave ranking: 4

The smallest state in the US places eighth due to its generous parental leave policies and high number of pediatricians.

7. Maine

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $33,011

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.54%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.1 hours

Parental leave ranking: 14

These rankings put the Pine Tree State's ratio of female to male executives at an impressive 67.73%.

6. Massachusetts

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $35,014

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 21.94%

Average length of a woman's work week: 34.8 hours

Parental leave ranking: 10 (tie)

The most populous New England state receives a first-place ranking in school quality, and features a slightly shorter work week for women than most of the states on the list.

5. Connecticut

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $34,773

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 22.09%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35 hours

Parental leave ranking: 5

Excellent schools and generous parental leave policies propel Connecticut to fifth place on WalletHub's list.

4. Delaware

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,505

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.04%

Average length of a woman's work week: 36.1 hours

Parental leave ranking: 20 (tie)

Delaware places third when it comes to number of pediatricians per 100,000 residents. It also came in seventh in the category of day care quality.

3. New Jersey

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,560

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.16%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.7 hours

Parental leave ranking: 7

The Garden State received a boost in the rankings from its top-notch schools, coming in second in the category of school-system quality.

2. Minnesota

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $40,427

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.75%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35.2 hours

Parental leave ranking: 12

This Midwestern state benefits from a low female unemployment rate of 3.2% and comparatively low child care costs, which clock in at 18.75% of a median women's salary.

1. Vermont

Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,948

Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 20.40%

Average length of a woman's work week: 35 hours

Parental leave ranking: 9

The Green Mountain State snags the top spot, boasting a comparatively small gender wage gap, a low female unemployment rate, and a high number of pediatricians per 100,000 residents.

The 15 best US states for working mothers

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