Is California baby and family friendly? Study ranks the best states in US to have kids
California isn’t the best place to give birth to a child, but it’s also not the worst, according to a new study.
Wallethub, an online personal finance service, analyzed the states to find the most ideal place to have a baby. Using a weighted ranking, it compared the costs of delivering a child and health care, such as infant mortality rate and quality of hospitals. It also looked into “baby-friendliness,” a review of the accessibility to programs, such as mom groups and child-care centers, and how family-friendly the state is.
California is one of the most expensive states in the country to have a kid, The Bee previously reported, with the cost of out-of-network cesarean sections reaching nearly $50,000 per delivery and the national median cost for natural birth going up to about $27,000.
Despite this, pregnant and postpartum employees are among the most protected in the country, as the state does have several laws that allow for workplace accommodations.
How does California rank?
According to the study, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California is the 28th best place to have a child.
The state led the list for highest costs and made No. 29 on health care, No. 9 for baby-friendliness and No. 22 for family-friendliness.
Massachusetts topped the list for the best state to have a baby, with Minnesota and Vermont trailing behind at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Despite leaning toward the top for high costs at No. 42, Massachusetts is No. 1 for family-friendliness, No. 4 for baby-friendliness and No. 2 for health care.
Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina, ranked the lowest at No. 51, 50 and 49, respectively.
Mississippi was rated near the bottom of individual lists, ending up at No. 49 for health care and No. 50 for baby-friendliness and family-friendliness. It does have lower costs, compared to other states, at No. 20.
The breakdown
Looking at cesarean delivery costs, Maryland and New Hampshire have the lowest. California ties with a handful of states, including Arizona, Florida, Nevada and New Hampshire, for the highest costs to have a baby with this method.
California ties again for the highest vaginal delivery costs with Nevada and New Jersey. New Hampshire and North Dakota have the lowest costs, according to the study.
The Golden State didn’t make it in the top 5 of the list for child and mother-focused programs. For the states with the most or fewest midwives, obstetricians and gynecologists, pediatricians and child care centers per capita, for example, California did not make it on either list.
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