State rankings

Legal Babysitting Age by State

Illinois has the highest Babysitting Age (14), followed by Georgia (13) and Maryland (13). South Carolina has the lowest (8).

CultureLaw13 states · 1 metricUpdated Mar 9, 2025Original page
2 sources
Babysitting AgeBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
13 of 51 states
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Babysitting Age

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 13 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
11
Middle half 10 – 12
Average
10.85
13 states
Highest
14
Illinois
Lowest
8
South Carolina

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

13 states · # = rank by Babysitting Age
#
1Illinois14
2Georgia13
2Maryland13
4Colorado12
4Oklahoma12
6New York11
6New Mexico11
8Washington10
8Tennessee10
8Oregon10
11North Carolina9
12Minnesota8
12South Carolina8

What correlates with Babysitting Age?

Pearson r against 2,054 other state metrics sharing at least 10 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Babysitting Age tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Overall IndexLawyer-Friendly States
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  2. Bipolar Rate Ages 0-14Mental Health Statistics by State
    r = +0.80 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  3. 1 Year ChangePublic School Rankings by State
    r = +0.70 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  4. Natural Gas Storage CapacityGas Shortage by State
    r = +0.70 · very strong · n = 10
    Plot
  5. Unrestricted License AgeDriving Age by State
    r = +0.70 · strong · n = 13
    Plot
  6. Annual Conviction RateMost Corrupt States
    r = +0.69 · strong · n = 13
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Babysitting Age tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. % of Pop. with Associates DegreeMost Educated U.S. States
    r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  2. Year JoinedMega Millions States
    r = −0.70 · strong · n = 13
    Plot
  3. Work-RelatedMost Stressed StatesA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 13
    Plot
  4. % of Households Who Own CatsPet Ownership Statistics by State
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 13
    Plot
  5. Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the USA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.61 · strong · n = 13
    Plot
  6. Max WidthTrailer Towing Laws By State
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 13
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Babysitting Age?
Illinois has the highest Babysitting Age, at 14, followed by Georgia (13) and Maryland (13).
Which state has the lowest Babysitting Age?
South Carolina has the lowest Babysitting Age, at 8.
What is the median Babysitting Age across US states?
The median is 11 across the 13 US states with data.
Where does this legal babysitting age by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: How Old Do You Have To Be to Babysit? State Laws Explained - Parents; The Minimum Age to Start Babysitting - Live About.