Where is the Most Affordable Place to Have a Baby?

Cheapest Places to Birth a Child

“Cesarean delivery charges run about $13,000,” Gonzalez said. “Most other states are $10,000 more than that. Conventional delivery, anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000, depending on complications, second most affordable in the country.”

A WalletHub survey ranks Maine number three in the nation overall, for best states to deliver a baby, using 17 key metrics about the cost and availability of services in all 50 states. Gonzalez said Maine also gets high marks for providing the resources available for moms who are about to, or have just delivered, a baby.

“Number one when it comes to the number of obstetricians and gynecologists per capita,” she stated. “So, that would be very accessible to expecting mothers. And the maternal mortality ratio is the absolute lowest in the country, so, definitely some peace of mind there.”

The only state in which Maine comes in second to is Vermont. Maine is followed by Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Washington.

It seems that there may be a common factor among the places where it is cheapest to birth a child. All of them, except Hawaii, are located in the north. Most of them are less-densely populated. Maine and Vermont, the top two on the list, are not very populated areas. Many of the others in the top 10 are “wilderness” states. States like North Dakota, Minnesota and Washington don’t have many big cities so oftentimes when a mother births a child they are going to a less costly regional hospital.

Most Expensive Places to Live

Among the costliest states to have a baby were Florida, Nevada, California, New Jersey and New Mexico.

The study broke down the costs of traditional delivery versus cesarean delivery. Other metrics in the survey include the annual cost of infant care, hospital delivery charges and the number of pediatricians per capita.

The overall consensus of the survey is that if you want to keep childbirth costs down you should live above the Mason Dixon Line in a sparsely-populated area. Although these places can seem lackluster in activities available to those who live there, living there can positively affect your wallet.

Don’t forget that you are not prepared to have a baby until you are financially prepared to do so! Make sure that if you are planning to have a child that you take the childbirth costs as well as the increased cost of living into account.

Source: Public News Network, Reprinted With Permission.

Author: Mike Clifford, Public News Service – CO

What advice do you have for becoming financially ready to have a child?

Photo: Flickr: Mysudbury.ca Ouisudbury.ca

Amanda Blankenship

Amanda Blankenship is a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her family recently welcomed their second child, a baby boy, into the world. She loves writing about various topics, including politics and personal finance. In her spare time, Amanda loves to play with her kids, make food from scratch, crochet, and read.