Having a Baby Soon? One State Outranks the Others

Massachusetts tops WalletHub's list, while Mississippi comes in last
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 7, 2023 5:25 PM CDT
Having a Baby Soon? These States Are Your Best Bet
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Natalia Kuzina)

If your future plans include starting a family and you're open to a move (or wondering whether your current location is ideal), WalletHub has some insights. The site looked at all 50 states and the District of Columbia, not only on the issue of costs tied to having a baby—everything from delivery expenses to the price of child care and health insurance premiums—but also two dozen other metrics in three additional categories: health care (think infant and maternal mortality rates, the quality of women's hospitals, postpartum depression rates, and food security for infants); baby friendliness, including birth rate, parental-leave policies, and mom groups and child care centers per capita; and family friendliness. Massachusetts topped WalletHub's list, while Mississippi came in last. See what other states made the top and bottom 10:

Best States

  1. Massachusetts (No. 1 in "Family Friendliness" category)
  2. Minnesota
  3. Vermont (No. 1 in "Health Care" category)
  4. Rhode Island
  5. North Dakota
  6. New Hampshire
  7. Iowa
  8. Utah
  9. Connecticut
  10. Washington

Worst States
  1. Florida
  2. Nevada
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Arkansas
  5. Georgia
  6. West Virginia (last in "Baby Friendliness" category)
  7. Louisiana
  8. South Carolina
  9. Alabama (last in "Health Care" category)
  10. Mississippi (last in "Family Friendliness" category)
See how other states fared here. (This is the best state to live and work in.)

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