Oregon Has a Growing Problem With At-Risk Youth

It’s no secret that kids are having a tougher time navigating through life in this day and age. And no matter what programs or technology are created and used to help, there are still some that fall through the cracks and struggle. And certain states are proving to be more of a challenging place than others for the youth. Oregon is looking to be one of the worst. We’ll discuss below.

Growing Up In The Pacific Northwest

I’ve spent a majority of my life in Central Washington, and I’m not going to lie, I’ve had a lot of great opportunities. Some that were given to me, and many I worked my butt off to get.

girl in red tank top riding on blue boat during daytime — Photo by Brooks Rice on Unsplash

From working side-by-side with my dad doing custodial work on weekends at his place of employment for extra income in Yakima, Washington, and doing side ‘gig’ DJ work, to getting my first “W2” job at a fruit stand.

Going to a trade school and eventually landed a job in my career choice that I’ve enjoyed for the past 26 years. As I said, I’ve had opportunities, and I’ve worked hard to get where I am today. It’s sad that the kiddos are going to have a harder time, especially in Oregon.

WalletHub Shows The Most At-Risk States

A recent study from WalletHub looked at the 50 states (and DC) and was able to determine the best and worst states when it comes to at-risk youth.

They looked at 15 key factors including disconnected youth, labor force participation rate (for young adults), poverty rate, education level, weight/obesity, drug use, homelessness, and more.

Among the worst states for youths, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and West Virginia rank in the top 5, respectively, with Oregon coming in at #6.