Report ranks Florida among the worst states to have a baby

Parenting and pregnancy is hard enough as it is, but it looks like the state of Florida doesn’t exactly make it easier. 

According to a report from WalletHub, the Sunshine State is in the top 10 worst states to have (and take care of) a baby.  

The report ranks states based on cost, healthcare, baby-friendliness and family-friendliness, and these factors are broken down into further data points that are weighed to assign each state a score. 

So let’s rip off the Band-Aid and get into the numbers. 

The bad news

Florida ranks #41 among all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. overall. 

It’s 5th most expensive, 24th friendliest toward babies and 31st friendliest toward families. Its healthcare rank is #46. 

Yikes. How did WalletHub get to these numbers?

Through several smaller numbers.

For instance, to determine a score for cost, WalletHub considered the cost of delivery, different child care options and average health-insurance premiums, among others. Healthcare scores take into account mortality rates, the amount of different medical providers per capita, the rate of post partum depression and more.

To see how what metrics determined family-friendliness and baby-friendliness, see the full report here.

How does Florida rank if you break it down?

Not great, and worse than average in most categories.

WalletHub has Florida ranked as follows:  

• 21st in Parental-Leave Policy Score   
• 23rd in Avg. Annual Cost of Early Child Care - 23^rd
• 24th in Pediatricians & Family Medicine Physicians per Capita
• 29th in Infant Mortality Rate
• 32nd in Midwives & OB-GYNs per Capita
• 34th in Child-Care Centers per Capita
• 36th in Hospital Cesarean-Delivery Charges
• 36th in Rate of Low Birth-Weight
• 37th in Hospital Conventional-Delivery Charges

So where's the best place to have a baby?

Massachusetts gets that title all to itself, and the state also finds itself in the top 10 least expensive.

“The best states for having a baby minimize costs while providing top-notch care for both newborns and their mothers. They also continue to be good environments for parents even long after the birth, with high-quality pediatric care, affordable and accessible child care, and a strong economic environment that makes providing for a child easier,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe writes.

The average conventional delivery in the U.S. costs over $2,600 with insurance, and nearly $15,000 without insurance, according to WalletHub.

But the #2 spot for overall score goes to a state that also ranks third for most expensive: North Dakota.

And the #3 spot belongs to Minnesota, which sits at #23 in terms of cost and #4 in healthcare.