Is New York a good state to have a baby? Here's how it ranks

Is New York a good state to have a baby? A new WalletHub study may have the answer.

It's no secret that raising a child, let alone childbirth itself, can be a huge expense. Conventional delivery in the United States costs, on average, over $15,700, and even families with employer-sponsored health insurance can pay upwards of $2,600 out of pocket, according to WalletHub.

While having a baby is expensive, costs can vary by state, as health care prices, the cost of living, and the cost of childbirth can differ from place to place. Beyond expenses, access to child care, child resources, health care and family support can vary from state to state, which can sway parents to raise their child in one place versus another.

"The best states for having a baby

minimize costs while providing top-notch care for both newborns and their mothers," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

To determine the best states to have a baby, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 metrics ranging from affordability to health care accessibility and baby and family-friendliness.

Here's what to know about New York State's ranking.

Is New York a good state to have a baby?

Yes, according to WalletHub, New York is a pretty decent place to have a baby, as it ranked among the top 20 best states on the list.

While the Empire State ranked relatively high, it seems that some of the major downfalls within the state have to do with the costs, like having the second-highest hospital conventional delivery charges and having the fourth-highest average annual infant care costs, according to WalletHub.

New York ranked No. 16 out of 51, with an overall score of 57. It scored the No. 50 spot for the health care rank, No. 22 for the baby friendliness rank and No. 8 for the family friendliness rank.

The Empire State was also ranked as having the fourth-lowest infant mortality rate.

WalletHub's top 10 best states to have a baby

Source: WalletHub

1. Massachusetts
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4. Rhode Island
5. New Hampshire
6. Maine
7. Connecticut
8. Vermont
9. Washington
10. District of Columbia

WalletHub's 10 worst states to have a baby

• No. 51: Mississippi
• No. 50: Alabama
• No. 49: Florida
• No. 48: New Mexico
• No. 47: Nevada
• No. 46: South Carolina
• No. 45: Texas
• No. 44: Georgia
• No. 43: Arkansas
• No. 42: West Virginia

How WalletHub assessed best and worst states to have a baby

To determine the best states in the U.S. to have a baby, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across four dimensions: cost, health care, baby friendliness and family friendliness.

The cost category analyzed these factors:

• Hospital cesarean delivery charges
• Hospital conventional delivery charges
• Average annual cost of early child care
• Average health insurance premiums
• Current status of Medicaid Expansion decision
• Cost of babysitter/ nanyy
• Cost of newborn screening

The health care category analyzed these factors:

• Infant mortality rate
• Maternal mortality ratio
• Rate of low birth weight
• Rate of preterm births
• Low or very low food security for babies
• Share of children with all seven recommended vaccines
• Quality of women's hospitals
• Quality of pediatric neonatology facilities
• Midwives & obstetrician gynecologists per capita
• Pediatricians & family doctors per capita
• Fertility clinics per capita
• mPINC survey score
• Prenatal care access
• Share of children aged 9-35 months who received developmental screening using a parent-completed screening tool
• Rate of postpartum depression
• State Medicaid policy for maternal depression screening in well-child visits
• State policy for Medicaid-covered dyadic treatment

The baby friendliness category analyzed these factors:

• Paternal leave policy score
• Mom groups per capita
• Child care centers per capita
• Share of nationally accredited child care centers
• Birth rate
• State policy for Medicaid-covered parenting programs

The family friendliness category analyzed this factor:

• Family-friendliness, based on WalletHub's "Best & Worst States to Raise a Family" study

Data used to create the ranking was collected as of July 6, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including the National Center for Children in Poverty, Child Care Aware of America, the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Partnership for Women & Families and the U.S. News & World Report.

—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Is New York a good state to have a baby? Here's how it ranks