Florida is the worst place to raise kids in 2016, study says

Beaches, theme parks, sunshine. Florida has plenty to offer — regardless of your age. But according to a new study, the Sunshine State is the worst state to raise children in 2016.

• Florida is the worst place to raise kids in 2016, website says
• Ocala was dead last based on the study's metrics
• Iowa had three metro areas in the top 10 in the 2016 study

SmartAsset, a personal finance technology company based in New York, uses financial modeling to provide advice on financial decisions. The website conducted its second annual study of the best places for children.

Florida didn't do so well.

To compile the list, SmartAsset looked at the 200 largest U.S. metro areas and ranked them using the same 13 factors that the website included in its 2015 analysis.

"We focused on metrics that would affect a child's quality of life, including water quality, air quality, intergenerational mobility and access to schools with high graduation rates and high rates of proficiency in math and reading," the website states.

The study also considered child and infant mortality rates, child poverty rates, media home values and the percentage of children without health insurance.

Iowa topped the list with three metro areas in the top 10.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, topped the list for the second year in a row.

"The metro area ranked well in last year's analysis because of its high-performing schools," the study said. "Since then, its high school graduation rate has increased by 1.1 percent and the percentage of students with proficiency in language arts has increased 4.1 percent."

Des Moines-West Des Moines and Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area were featured in the list, too.

Florida didn't fare so well. Out of the 10 worst places to raise children, seven of them are in Florida, the study says. Ocala came in dead last in both 2015 and 2016.