MA Ranked 2nd Best State in Country to Have a Baby
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
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:
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)
Baby-Friendliness – Total Points: 20
- • Parental-Leave Policy Score: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
- • Mom Groups per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- • Child-Care Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- • Share of Nationally Accredited Child-Care Centers: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- • Birth Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Family-Friendliness – Total Points: 20
- • Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~20.00 Points)
Related Articles
- Massachusetts Ranked #2 for Emergency Medical Care in U.S.
- Massachusetts Ranked 5th Overall Best State in Nation
- In Case You Missed It: Massachusetts Ranked 5th Overall Best State
- Massachusetts Ranked 4th Healthiest State in Nation
- Massachusetts Ranked #1 State For Energy Efficiency
- Massachusetts Ranked #19 on National Nursing Homes Report Card
- Massachusetts Ranked #15 in Best States for Women
- Massachusetts Ranked 4th Best Banking State by MoneyRates.com
- NEW: Massachusetts Ranked #25 for Business by CNBC
- Massachusetts Ranked Among Best States to Have a Baby
- Massachusetts Ranked #1 for Energy Efficiency
- Massachusetts Ranked 16th Happiest State in America
- Massachusetts Ranked 27th for Most Patriotic
- Massachusetts Ranked #2 for Best School System by WalletHub
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It