Best And Worst States To Have A Baby In 2026, Ranked

A new report from WalletHub puts North Dakota near the top of the list for having a baby, ranking the state third in the nation.

Source: WalletHub

The 2026 study, released Aug. 3, compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 31 measures tied to cost, health care and overall family conditions. Massachusetts finished first, followed by Minnesota.

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North Dakota’s showing was driven largely by affordability. The state ranked third for cost, with one of the lowest prices in the country for a standard hospital delivery, roughly $9,700, well below the national average of more than $15,700. It also performed strongly in long-term measures, placing third for family-friendliness.

“The best states for having a baby minimize costs while providing top-notch care for both newborns and their mothers,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “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.”

Even with its high overall ranking, North Dakota landed in the middle of the pack for some categories. It ranked 16th for health care and 28th for baby-friendliness, reflecting more limited access to providers and services than in more densely populated states.

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Nearby states show a range of results. Minnesota ranked second overall, supported by strong health care access and family resources. South Dakota came in 22nd, while Montana ranked 28th and Wyoming 36th, each with lower scores tied in part to access to care.

Other states in the region landed closer to the middle or upper tier. Iowa ranked 11th, Wisconsin 12th and Nebraska 15th.

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At the bottom of the list were Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Best States to Have a Baby

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Cost Rank	Health Care Rank	Baby-Friendliness Rank	Family-Friendliness Rank
1	Massachusetts	74.96	39	2	2	1
2	Minnesota	69.66	21	4	7	2
3	North Dakota	65.53	3	16	28	3
4	Rhode Island	63.68	35	3	5	16
5	New Hampshire	63.34	8	5	44	8
6	Maine	63.11	36	14	3	10
7	Connecticut	61.75	40	11	10	7
8	Vermont	61.74	37	1	25	17
9	Washington	60.20	46	10	4	13
10	District of Columbia	59.82	26	29	1	N/A
11	Iowa	58.96	5	6	32	19
12	Wisconsin	58.03	42	27	17	4
13	Utah	57.95	12	21	15	18
14	Hawaii	57.67	24	9	6	23
15	Nebraska	57.52	22	37	29	5
16	New York	57.00	50	22	8	6
17	Oregon	56.80	31	8	9	22
18	Pennsylvania	56.48	7	19	43	12
19	Idaho	56.31	2	12	11	30
20	Colorado	55.70	41	18	12	15
21	Illinois	55.46	28	23	37	9
22	South Dakota	54.96	9	35	41	11
23	Maryland	54.41	6	25	33	20
24	New Jersey	54.33	45	20	16	14
25	Ohio	53.34	4	26	35	21
26	Delaware	52.22	14	13	22	32
27	Virginia	51.92	18	32	13	26
28	Montana	50.46	20	15	48	25
29	Michigan	49.11	10	17	30	35
30	California	47.14	51	7	23	29
31	Arizona	44.58	30	28	19	39
32	Missouri	44.33	13	43	46	27
33	Indiana	43.53	19	46	31	31
34	Kentucky	43.25	17	44	18	38
35	North Carolina	43.24	15	34	42	36
36	Wyoming	42.20	43	41	40	24
37	Alaska	41.49	48	24	20	37
38	Tennessee	41.34	44	39	26	33
39	Oklahoma	40.86	11	38	39	43
40	Kansas	40.61	38	47	38	28
41	Louisiana	39.49	1	48	21	45
42	West Virginia	38.81	23	36	27	49
43	Arkansas	38.25	16	50	14	44
44	Georgia	38.21	29	31	47	41
45	Texas	37.97	47	42	34	34
46	South Carolina	37.12	34	33	50	42
47	Nevada	36.06	33	30	49	47
48	New Mexico	35.64	25	40	36	50
49	Florida	35.52	49	45	24	40
50	Alabama	30.75	27	49	51	46
51	Mississippi	29.23	32	51	45	48