Having a baby in Massachusetts is both a joyful and stressful occasion – but the stress side is more amplified in 2023 as inflation pushes the cost of adding an extra family member higher and higher. One of the biggest expenses to keep in mind is medical bills. The average conventional delivery in the U.S. costs over $2,600 with insurance, and without insurance it could cost nearly $15,000.
Birthing costs, however, won’t hit your wallet as badly in some states as they will in others. Expenses can vary significantly, considering the wide disparities in cost of living. They can also differ from one pregnancy to another, given that some women experience delivery complications. There’s more to think about than just cost, though. Some states provide better quality health care service and better environments in which to care for children.
To determine the most ideal places in the U.S. to have a baby, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key measures of cost and health care accessibility, as well as baby- and family-friendliness. Our data set ranges from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita.
Best States to Have a Baby
| Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Cost | Health Care | Baby-Friendliness | Family-Friendliness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 69.31 | 42 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 67.86 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| 3 | Vermont | 65.74 | 36 | 1 | 26 | 5 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 65.64 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 64.21 | 5 | 20 | 24 | 4 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 64.15 | 2 | 6 | 41 | 6 |
| 7 | Iowa | 62.19 | 12 | 5 | 35 | 9 |
| 8 | Utah | 61.42 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 15 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 60.67 | 48 | 9 | 13 | 10 |
| 10 | Washington | 60.23 | 44 | 12 | 3 | 12 |
| 11 | Oregon | 58.37 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 24 |
| 12 | Montana | 58.26 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 25 |
| 13 | Hawaii | 58.24 | 27 | 13 | 5 | 23 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | 58.10 | 26 | 40 | 1 | N/A |
| 15 | Maine | 57.73 | 25 | 11 | 23 | 16 |
| 16 | New Jersey | 56.67 | 49 | 32 | 7 | 7 |
| 17 | New York | 56.24 | 50 | 19 | 25 | 3 |
| 18 | Maryland | 55.39 | 4 | 23 | 37 | 19 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 55.24 | 13 | 29 | 36 | 14 |
| 20 | Nebraska | 54.24 | 19 | 35 | 43 | 8 |
| 21 | Illinois | 54.12 | 35 | 18 | 31 | 13 |
| 22 | Colorado | 53.93 | 43 | 22 | 8 | 20 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 53.89 | 40 | 15 | 22 | 17 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 53.48 | 10 | 26 | 42 | 18 |
| 25 | Delaware | 52.33 | 14 | 10 | 40 | 30 |
| 26 | Virginia | 51.93 | 22 | 21 | 34 | 21 |
| 27 | Idaho | 51.80 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 35 |
| 28 | California | 49.25 | 51 | 28 | 9 | 22 |
| 29 | Ohio | 49.01 | 3 | 25 | 38 | 31 |
| 30 | Michigan | 48.81 | 8 | 27 | 27 | 36 |
| 31 | Kansas | 48.79 | 31 | 30 | 17 | 29 |
| 32 | Alaska | 47.18 | 34 | 16 | 14 | 38 |
| 33 | Missouri | 46.45 | 11 | 39 | 44 | 28 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 46.29 | 7 | 41 | 18 | 37 |
| 35 | Wyoming | 45.11 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 27 |
| 36 | Tennessee | 43.84 | 38 | 38 | 20 | 33 |
| 37 | Texas | 43.81 | 45 | 33 | 39 | 26 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 42.27 | 28 | 24 | 16 | 49 |
| 39 | North Carolina | 42.23 | 21 | 31 | 46 | 39 |
| 40 | Indiana | 41.90 | 18 | 44 | 33 | 34 |
| 41 | Arizona | 41.26 | 37 | 37 | 19 | 41 |
| 42 | Florida | 40.37 | 46 | 42 | 28 | 32 |
| 43 | Nevada | 39.73 | 32 | 36 | 30 | 40 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | 39.10 | 17 | 43 | 32 | 43 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 36.09 | 6 | 50 | 29 | 44 |
| 46 | Georgia | 34.31 | 29 | 46 | 48 | 42 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 33.28 | 23 | 45 | 51 | 48 |
| 48 | Louisiana | 31.93 | 1 | 48 | 47 | 47 |
| 49 | South Carolina | 30.24 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 46 |
| 50 | Alabama | 27.71 | 39 | 51 | 45 | 45 |
| 51 | Mississippi | 26.87 | 20 | 49 | 50 | 50 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
With a total score of 69.31, Massachusetts actually ranks #1 for family friendliness and #2 for health care.
Should you be in the midst of a divorce or contemplating divorce, contact the Law Offices of Renee Lazar at 978-844-4095 to schedule a FREE one hour no obligation consultation.
wallethub.com