The best (and worst) states to have a baby in 2019

In many ways, having a baby in Alaska is much the same as in Alabama: All babies need food, love and care. And all parents are responsible for navigating the life transition. But the expense associated with welcoming a baby? That sure does vary widely based on where in the United States the baby is born.

After assessing 30 key measures—including infant care costs, child care centers per capita, delivery charges and more—data analysts from WalletHub determined Vermont is the most ideal state to welcome a baby in 2019 .

On the other end of the spectrum, parents in Mississippi were disadvantaged by the state’s higher infant-mortality rates and lower distribution of midwives or OB-GYNs per capita. (Although folks in southern states generally saved the most on average infant-care costs.)

“If local authorities want to attract families in their area—and for a host of societal reasons, it would behoove them—they should continue to strive for greater public safety and more family-friendly environments,” Jeff Wallace, a business advisor and assistant professor at Snow College, tells WalletHub.

The experts at WalletHub divided the 26 measures into four categories: cost, health care, baby-friendliness and family-friendliness. Then each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing favorable conditions, such as low costs or better delivery outcomes.

The best states to have a baby are Vermont, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Minnesota. Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi are the lowest ranking states, according to WalletHub.

While the list is focused on the best places to have a baby, experts who have weighed in on the annual findings said there are much longer-term implications. “Children are more likely to be successful when they grow up in communities that feel safe, have families that are connected to each other, and offer support services if the family needs them,” says Steven Meyers, Ph.D., Director of Undergraduate Psychology Programs and Initiative for Child and Family Studies at Roosevelt University. ” Local authorities can establish these as priorities when they decide how to allocate resources.”

Here are the 5 states we should look to for examples:

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