If you're thinking of starting a family, or want to expand the one you have, there are some US states that may be better than others, from the birthing process onward. WalletHub looked at nearly three dozen metrics for all 50 states and DC, in four main categories: cost, which covers such things as hospital delivery charges, health insurance premiums, and even how much you'll pony up for the babysitter; health care (ie, infant and maternal mortality rates, quality of women's hospitals, and midwives, doctors, and fertility clinics per capita); family friendliness; and baby friendliness—think child care centers per capita and scores regarding parental leave. See what states made the top and bottom 10:
Best states
- Massachusetts (No. 1 in "Family Friendliness" category)
- Vermont (No. 1 in "Health Care" category)
- Rhode Island
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
- Connecticut
- Washington
- District of Columbia (No. 1 in "Baby Friendliness" category)
- Hawaii
- Utah
Worst states
- Florida
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia (last in "Baby Friendliness" category)
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- Alabama (last in "Health Care" category)
See how other states fare
here. (Check out the best and worst states
to raise a family.)
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