MA Ranked 2nd Best State in Country to Have a Baby

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Massachusetts is one of the best states in the country to have a baby.

According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Massachusetts is the second best state in the country to have a baby, and the second best state in New England.

In New England, MA ranks behind Vermont, who ranks #1 overall. Massachusetts ranks ahead of New Hampshire, who ranks #4, Connecticut, who ranks #6, Rhode Island, who ranks #15 overall and Maine, who ranks #17 overall.

“What should you expect when you’re expecting? Besides possibly the greatest joy of your life, you can expect a lot of extra expenses. Between one-time costs such as a crib and stroller and ongoing ones including diapers and formula, it’s easy to go over budget.One of the biggest expenses to keep in mind is medical bills. According to The Economist, the average conventional delivery in the U.S. costs over $10,000, more expensive than the birth of Britain’s latest royal baby. Whether or not you have insurance naturally plays a big role as well,” said WalletHub.

MA’s Rankings

27th Best - Cost
3rd Best - Healthcare
12th Best - Baby Friendliness
1st - Family Friendliness
50th - Highest Abg. Annual Infant Care Costs
3rd - Lowest Infant Mortality Rate
3rd - Most Pediatricians and Family Doctors per Capita

The Rankings

The top five states to have a baby are:

1. Vermont

2. Massachusetts

3. Minnesota

4. New Hampshire

5. North Dakota

Mississippi is the worst state to have a baby.

See the full rankings in the map below:

Source: WalletHub

The Method

In order to determine the best and worst states to have a baby, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Cost, 2) Health Care, 3) Baby-Friendliness and 4) Family-Friendliness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 26 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for expectant parents and newborns.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Cost – Total Points: 20

• Hospital Cesarean-Delivery Charges: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Hospital Conventional-Delivery Charges: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Average Annual Cost of Early Child Care: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Average Health-Insurance Premiums: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Current Status of Medicaid Expansion Decision: Full Weight (~2.86 Points) 
• Cost of Babysitter/ Nanny: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Cost of Newborn Screening: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)

Health Care – Total Points: 40

• Infant Mortality Rate: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100,000 Live Births): Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Rate of Low Birth-Weight: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Rate of Preterm Births: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Share of Children with All Seven Recommended Vaccines: Full Weight (~3.27 Points) 
• Quality of Women’s Hospitals: Full Weight (~3.27 Points) 
• Quality of Pediatric Neonatology Facilities: Full Weight (~3.27 Points) 
• Midwives & Obstetrician-Gynecologists per Capita: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Pediatricians & Family Doctors per Capita: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Fertility Clinics per Capita: Quarter Weight (~0.82 Points)
• mPINC Survey Score: Full Weight (~3.27 Points) 
• Prenatal Care Access: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
• Share of Children Aged 9-35 Months who Received Developmental Screening using a Parent-Completed Screening Tool: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)