With September being one of the most popular months for newborn arrival in the U.S. and Americans paying the most expensive birthing costs in the world, the leading personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best and Worst States to Have a Baby.
To help expectant parents gauge their baby-planning costs, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 21 key metrics. Our data set includes such metrics as delivery costs, average annual infant-care costs, the per-capita number of midwives and OB-GYNs, and the per-capita number of child care centers.
| Best States to Have a Baby | Worst States to Have a Baby | ||||
| 1 | Vermont | 42 | Arkansas | ||
| 2 | North Dakota | 43 | Alabama | ||
| 3 | Oregon | 44 | Georgia | ||
| 4 | Hawaii | 45 | Louisiana | ||
| 5 | Minnesota | 46 | New York | ||
| 6 | Kentucky | 47 | Nevada | ||
| 7 | Maine | 48 | South Carolina | ||
| 8 | Wyoming | 49 | West Virginia | ||
| 9 | Iowa | 50 | Pennsylvania | ||
| 10 | Alaska | 51 | Mississippi | ||
Key Stats
- The average annual infant-care costs in the District of Columbia are four times more expensive than in Mississippi.
- The infant-death rate in Mississippi is twice as high as in Iowa.
- Vermont has nine times more child care centers per capita than West Virginia.
- The rate of low birth-weight in Mississippi is twice as high as in Alaska.
- The District of Columbia has 13 times more OB-GYNs per capita than Alabama.
- California has the best parental leave policies, whereas 17 states — such as Arizona, Michigan or South Carolina — tied for the worst.
- Vermont has 12 times more pediatricians per capita than New Mexico.
For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:
http://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-to-have-a-baby/6513/
