Families in Georgia welcome more than 120,000 babies per year, according to March of Dimes. But should they have moved elsewhere?
Earlier this month, WalletHub released its rankings of the best and worst
states for having babies including Washington, DC. The rankings were based on 31 metrics measuring affordability, health care accessibility, baby-and family-friendliness. Criteria included babysitter/nanny costs, infant mortality rates, and the number of mom groups per capita. Each state could potentially receive an overall score of 100, with 40 points allocated for health care, 40 for friendliness, and 20 for affordability.
Is Georgia a good state for babies?
Georgia ranked eighth-lowest, with its worst overall category being baby-friendliness, where it ranked fifth worst, and its best category being cost, where it ranked 29th best. According to additional details provided by WalletHub, the Peach State also had the fourth-highest rate of low birth weights and the 13th-highest infant mortality rate.
Best states for babies
Massachusetts landed in the No. 1 spot in WalletHub's rankings, placing first in family-friendliness and second in health care and baby-friendliness. The Bay State also reportedly had the best neonatal hospitals, the highest number of pediatricians and family medicine physicians per capita, the best leave policies, the third-lowest infant mortality rate and the third-lowest maternal mortality rate.
Here's a look at the top five states on WalletHub's list, from best to worst:
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- New Hampshire
Walmart has your baby essentials
Worst states for babies
Mississippi landed at the very bottom of the list because it ranked last in healthcare, had the third-lowest family-friendliness score, the fourth-fewest pediatricians and family medicine physicians per capita, the fifth-highest infant mortality rate, and the fifth-fewest midwives and OB-GYNs per capita.
Here's a look at the worst five states on WalletHub's list, from worst to best:
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Florida
- New Mexico
- Nevada
Most popular baby names
According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names in Georgia are 'Liam' for boys and 'Amelia' for girls.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Why Georgia ranks near bottom for having a baby in WalletHub study
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