Here Are the Best and Worst States to Have a Baby
Not to make a total understatement, but raising a kid requires lots of hard work, know-how (hence, parenting sites) and some serious money. According to the Huffington Post, the average cost of one child from birth to 18-years-old in the USA is $245, 340 — but that number changes depending on where you live. The cost of living varies a whole lot from city to city, not to mention across state lines. You could say all states are not created equal when it comes to having a baby, especially when you factor in percentage of child care centers per capita, number of pediatricians in the state and even pollution rates. Welp, the folks at WalletHub did, and the results are in: here are the best and worst states to have a baby.
The best state to have a kid in the US of A is *drumroll please:* Vermont. The study consisted of weighing three key components — budget, baby-friendliness and healthcare — across all 50 states (and D.C.). Each component is then broken up in various facets, like cost of living and the price of childcare for budget, stats like rate of preterm births and maternal mortality rates for healthcare and factors like parental leave policies and air pollution for child-friendliness.
Vermont came in overall at number one, but only 17 for budget and number five for baby-friendliness. Guess those green mountains are good for kiddies.The worst state to have a kid? Mississippi took that title. While it ranked in at 18 on budget — only one slot behind Vermont — MS hit at 29 for baby-friendliness and dead last for health care. Womp womp.
The study also had interesting results like states with the most expensive and most affordable C-section/natural birth charges, states with the highest number or pediatricians and more. Hey, a new parent could use all the support they can get!
What do you think of this baby cost info? Tell us in the comments below!
(h/t Wallethub)