New study: Kansas in top 10 for stable families as nation struggles

Kansas is one of the top 10 states with the most stable families amid steady nation-wide decline, the 2026 Family Structure Index reveals.

The Family Structure Index (FSI) is a study conducted by the Institute for Family Studies and the Center for Christian Virtue to answer one question: how strong are families in the U.S.?

The study measures the number of people between 25 and 54 who are married, how many teenagers are living with married parents, and total fertility rates to track and rate each state’s family health. The combination of these three variables makes up a state’s index score.

CCV President Aaron Baer says a lot of today’s public policies and conversations addressing families only treat symptoms of a larger disease.

“What the Family Structure Index really highlights is, hey, so much of the issues we’re dealing with in America today, the root of them are the decline of marriage and the collapse of family,” he told Heartlander News.

Kansas is ranked sixth out of 50 with a 95.2 index score, making it one of the best states for stable families. The other states in the top 10 are:

1. Utah
2. Idaho
3. Nebraska
4. South Dakota
5. North Dakota
6. Kansas
7. Iowa
8. Wyoming
9. Minnesota
10. Montana

The Sunflower State’s neighbor, Missouri, is ranked 19th, having fallen one spot since last year.

11. Texas
12. Indiana
13. New Jersey
14. Oklahoma
15. Washington
16. Kentucky
17. Alaska
18. Virginia
19. Missouri
20. Arkansas

The biggest gap between Kansas and Missouri is the number of teenagers raised in two-parent households. Missouri has fewer teenagers living with both parents (62.7%) compared to those in Kansas (67.9%), and the number of married couples in Missouri is four percentage points less than in Kansas.

Lower scores for both variables tend to be a common trait of cities, which helps explain the large gap between the two states’ rankings as Missouri is home to large cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City.

The United States’ overall index score was 100 in 2000 but has been steadily declining since then. The country’s 2024 score is 87.3.

From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of married adults dropped by seven percentage points and from 2010 to 2024, the total fertility rate fell by 17%, and is still decreasing.

“The fertility rate is the scary one. …If we’re not doing something to turn around our fertility rate in America, we’re not going to be around for long,” Baer says.

The Institute for Family Studies has found that religion – Christianity specifically – could be the cure for the nation’s fertility crisis and general community needs.

“How do we view marriage? How do we view kids? How do we view sex? These questions are ultimately so much bigger than anything else that we’re dealing with right now than we want to give credit for,” Baer told the Heartlander.

“This is where Christianity offers a very important and unique perspective, and I would say it’s the true perspective. This isn’t just one view among many.

“This is the way the Creator of the universe designed creation and designed us.”

The Bible tells Christians that children are a gift and a blessing, Baer says, and sex within the confines of marriage is what produces long-term happiness and stability. In contrast, the overwhelming cultural view says children are burdens and sex is like a conquest to have as many partners as possible.

“You can see where Christianity offers a solution to a lot of the problems that we’re still seeing, whether it’s sadness or mental health problems or this sort of disappointment Americans are feeling today,” Baer explains.

One of the main purposes of the FSI is to explore the connection between marriage and the “American Dream,” Baer writes in a statement regarding the study.

“Only 1 in 3 Americans still believe the American Dream holds true – down from more than half, twelve years ago,” the FSI website reads.

Studies show adults who are married are about 80% less likely to live in poverty, and children without both parents in the home are more likely to struggle academically or end up in legal trouble.

“Demographics isn’t destiny,” Baer clarifies. “There are plenty of individuals who are raised by single parents who are thriving and doing great, and there are plenty of individuals who are raised by intact parents – married moms and dads – who are struggling.”

The FSI suggests healthy families are the missing piece to economic mobility and success.

“How are we creating a culture that celebrates and views marriages and children as a good thing?” Baer asks.

“The question is: what does our culture aspire to, build up, and celebrate? The good news is that’s something everybody can participate in – trying to change the culture on this issue. The bad news is, it doesn’t happen overnight.”