REPORT: These are the BEST and WORST States to Have a Baby in America

September is a great month. It is also one of the most popular months for babies to be born in America.

As can be imagined, having a baby is the most expensive in America. My last c-section bill was $11,000 before insurance coverage! Therefore, I am not surprised.

Leading personal finance Website WalletHub did an in-depth analysis and came up with 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.

The site’s data metrics considered included: 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.