(CNN) Minnesota reigns as the most kid-friendly state to raise a family for the second year in a row, according to an Annie E. Casey Foundation study released Tuesday.

Parents in Mississippi and New Mexico, however, might find reason for concern as those states rank among the lowest.

The foundation's Kids Count Data Center tracks ethnographic data in all 50 states to gauge the well-being of children across the nation, focusing on factors that affect the way children grow up.

They use a carefully developed methodology to tally each state's composite score in four main categories: Economic and health conditions, education and quality of communities.

The Northeast region took most of the top billing overall, though the study notes vast improvement in the Midwest over the past 10 years that's seen those states to compete for higher ranks.

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