South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota among Top States for Having a Baby

It can be one of the greatest joys of your lifetime but can also be one of the biggest nightmares.

Having a baby comes with an extraordinary number of challenges, but some of those issues can be greatly reduced depending on where the child is born.

Recently, WalletHub analyzed data from a number of different sources to determine which were the best states for having a baby in 2023.

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They broke it down into four key categories:

• Cost: Hospital, Insurance, Childcare
• Healthcare: Mortality Rates, Quality/Availability of Hospitals/Physicians, Food Security
• Baby-Friendliness: Parental-Leave Policies, Mothers Groups, Childcare Centers
• Family-Friendliness: Jobs, Economy

Once the numbers were in, the Tri-State Area (South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota) emerged as some of the best places for having a baby in America.

Minnesota is second only to Massachusetts at the top of the list. The North Star State grabbed top ten rankings in family friendliness (2nd), healthcare (4th), and baby-friendliness (10th).

Minnesota is also third in the nation in the highest number of midwives, OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and family medicine physicians per capita.

Iowa also landed in the top ten.

The Hawkeye State is seventh overall with top ten scores in healthcare (5th), and family-friendliness (9th). Iowa made the top ten despite having the fourth lowest number of midwives and OB-GYNs per capita in the United States.

BEST STATES TO HAVE A BABY IN 2023

1. Massachusetts
2. Minnesota
3. Vermont
4. Rhode Island
5. North Dakota
6. New Hampshire
7. Iowa
8. Utah
9. Connecticut
10. Washington

South Dakota is in the top 20 nationally at 19th overall.

The Mount Rushmore State's best scores were in cost (13th) and family-friendliness (14th). South Dakota also has the second-lowest average annual infant care costs in America.

WORST STATES TO HAVE A BABY IN 2023

1. Mississippi
2. Alabama
3. South Carolina
4. Louisiana
5. West Virginia
6. Georgia
7. Arkansas
8. Oklahoma
9. Nevada
10. Florida

On average a conventional delivery in the U.S. now costs over $2,600 with insurance, and without insurance, it could cost nearly $15,000.