West Virginians often take pride in their families, and the roots they have in the Mountain State. Many of us look back fondly on wonderful childhoods here. But perhaps the picture is not as rosy as we remember.

According to WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States to Raise a Family (2024),” West Virginia ranks 48th. Only Mississippi and New Mexico are worse places to raise a family, according to the report.

“It’s crucial to consider economic factors when deciding where to raise a family, like the job market, average income and housing costs,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. “It’s also important to look beyond dollars and cents, as things like low-quality schools, a bad healthcare system, natural disasters, or a high crime rate can turn the already-stressful process of parenting into a nightmare.”

Here, we rank 50th for family fun, 28th for health and safety, 44th for education and child care, 42nd for affordability, and 32nd for socioeconomics. It’s a pretty bleak picture. West Virginia is 49th for median family income, 50th for the number of families with young kids, and 47th for the number of families in poverty.

To be fair, that 50th ranking may say more about what the researchers consider family fun than what we do here in West Virginia. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound. Perhaps they base their findings on the number of trampoline parks or rodent-inspired pizza places to be found in the state.

But on crucial matters such as health, education and poverty, policymakers have a lot of work to do.

Lawmakers have just a few weeks left in this year’s session — enough time to make a difference for all West Virginians. They should focus on legislation that will bring about change that will make more families want to consider moving and growing here.

They should focus on improving educational and health outcomes for our children.

They should stay away from culture war issues and instead prioritize making life better for all West Virginians.

Certainly, the picture painted by the numbers used in WalletHub’s report, combined with the frightening efforts of some lawmakers will continue to repel those who might want to visit or live in West Virginia. The rest of us must make those lawmakers understand we will not stand by and let it happen.