Minnesota listed as one of the top states to have a baby
MINNEAPOLIS -- A new study lists Minnesota as one of the top five states to have a baby.
The annual list from the financial website WalletHub put Minnesota at No. 4 for 2022, a drop of two spots since last year, when Minnesota ranked second-best.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released a statement Wednesday, saying that he's proud Minnesota is recognized as a top state to raise a family while also noting that families are struggling with rising costs.
"We'll continue to push and lead us towards lower health care, child care and family costs and make Minnesota the best state for each and every child to grow up," he said.
The WalletHub study focused on comparing states on measures of health care costs and accessibly, such as average annual infant-care costs and the number of pediatricians per capita.
Minnesota ranked highly for health care services, family-friendliness and baby-friendliness. In terms of costs, the state landed in the middle of the pack.
No other Midwestern state was in the list's top 10. North Dakota was listed as No. 13, one spot ahead of Iowa. Meanwhile, Wisconsin was ranked No. 23.
The top-rated state was Massachusetts, which has now earned the title three years in a row. The other states in the top five were all also in the Northeast -- Vermont (No. 2), Rhode Island (No.3), and New Hampshire (No. 5).
The lowest ranked states were all in the South. Alabama was rated last, preceded by Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Georgia.
According to the study's authors, the average cost of having a baby delivered in the United States was over $3,000 with insurance and over $10,000 without it. Yet, the authors noted that expenses can vary greatly from state to state as well from birth to birth.
