This Is How Much It Costs to Be a New Mom in Your State

how much it costs to be a new mom in each state

When y'all're expecting your starting time kid, some costs come up as no surprise—a new crib, dozens of diapers, that woodland animal mobile your infantneeds.

Merely what about postpartum care? Or the cash required to properly babyproof your abode? Dare nosotros mention the neb you might get for the green Jell-O you'll suffer through during your infirmary stay?

Every bit a get-go-time (or expectant) mom, you may non know how much it costs to have a lilliputian one—and so in honor of your beginning Mother'south Day, we did some digging. We found that in the The states, the average toll for childbirth and childcare is a staggering $17,433 in the get-go yr lonely. (And past the way, the US is the most expensive country to give nascency in.)

See how much it costs to become a newly-minted mom in your state—and which states have the highest toll of admission to the parenthood club.

the five most and least expensive states to be a new mom

The 5 most expensive states

  1. Washington, DC
  2. Massachusetts
  3. New York
  4. Connecticut
  5. Alaska

The 5 to the lowest degree expensive states

  1. Mississippi
  2. Alabama
  3. Louisiana
  4. Arkansas
  5. South Dakota

Our ranking criteria

To determine our rankings, we considered how much information technology costs to deliver a infant in each state (before insurance), as well every bit the price of daycare for your tiny human's first year.

Of grade, at that place are dozens of costs associated with pregnancy and new maternity not deemed for in our data (similar the nine months you'll be eating for 2 or the nursery you'll create from scratch).

Here are the basic costs many moms run into from the showtime:

  • Average cost of childbirthane (weighted for vaginal vs. cesarean deliveries)ii
  • Boilerplate toll of infant daycare for one yr3

I other affair to note: Our information doesn't take insurance coverage into account. Insurance companies decide how much of the medical expense associated with childbirth they want to shoulder on a state-past-country basis—so what's covered in your state might not be in another.

The nearly expensive states to be a new mom

#1. Washington, DC

he cost of living in the nation's capital is already on the high side, but housing isn't the only affair that's pricey in the 202. DC'due south average daycare costs are higher than the side by side highest state by $5,569.

If you plan to work full-time afterwards your picayune 1 arrives—and if you don't have a grandparent or family unit friend you tin lean on for occasional assist—you'll drop over $20,000 per year on childcare alone.

Cost factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$6,724
  • Average cost of baby daycare per year: $22,631
  • Total toll:$29,355

#2. Massachusetts

Childcare costs in the Bay Land are so high that a new parent who makes minimum wage would need to work forty hours a calendar week for ten months3justto pay for a twelvemonth's worth of childcare—a damper on a infant shower if we've e'er seen one.

We'll requite Massachusetts this, though: it'due south the all-time state for babyhood education, which may soften your sticker stupor.

Cost factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$8,652
  • Average toll of infant daycare per year: $17,062
  • Total cost:$25,714

#iii. New York

Everything in New York (well, in the Big Apple at least) is more expensive—even having a babe.

New York's babe daycare costs boilerplate $xiv,144 per year. Plus, the Empire State has the 3rd highest childbirth cost—and a 2010 analysis constitute that New York saw the largest per centum increment in uncomplicated vaginal delivery costs in one yr.iv

Those figures alone are hard to handle—and they don't even factor in coin for plant nursery nuts, new pacifiers, or late-night grocery store runs for diapers.

Toll factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$9,880
  • Average toll of infant daycare per year: $14,144
  • Full cost:$24,024

#iv. Connecticut

Connecticut has the seventh highest cost of living in the Usa.5 And the price to go a kickoff-time parent in the Constitution Country? Non much better.

The boilerplate cost of a year'due south worth of infant daycare in Connecticut is $thirteen,880—that's $one,157 per month on a babysitter, basically.

Cost factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$ix,095
  • Boilerplate price of baby daycare per year: $thirteen,880
  • Total cost:$22,975

#5. Alaska

Alaska is the only rural land to brand our summit five—but there's a good reason information technology'south up at that place on our rankings.

According to Courtney Bullard, educational activity and collaborations director at the Utah Health Policy Project, insurance companies may embrace less in rural areas considering there are fewer healthcare providers. That actually drives up the cost of childbirth—even before health insurance coverage kicks in.

In Alaska, bears in your backyard aren't the but thing to worry well-nigh—the upfront toll to take a child is likewise alarming.

Price factors

  • Boilerplate childbirth medical expenses:$11,729
  • Average toll of infant daycare per yr: $ten,957
  • Total price:$22,686

The least expensive states to be a new mom

#ane. Mississippi

Mississippi is the starting time of four southern states to snag a spot on our five cheapest places to become a new mom—and in comparing to costs in many northeastern states, in that location'south a stark deviation.

On average, it costs $11,364 to have a babe in the Magnolia State. The cost in Washington, DC ($29,355) is more than double that.

To break it down farther, daycare costs in Mississippi teeter around $5,000 per year, which is almost—wait for it—five times cheaper than DC's average ($22,631).

Toll factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$6,542
  • Average cost of baby daycare per yr: $4,822
  • Full toll:$11,364

#2. Alabama

When it comes to depression childbirth and daycare costs, Alabama isn't far behind its Mississippian neighbor. Alabama'due south boilerplate cost of infant care is $five,637, which ends upward being in the ballpark of $470 per month.

Scroll tide, right?

Cost factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$5,885
  • Average price of infant daycare per year: $5,637
  • Full price:$11,522

#3. Louisiana

With reasonable housing costs and ane of the cheapest college towns in the US, life on the Bayou is affordable in many ways—including becoming a mom.

At $12,103 a year, Louisiana's childbirth and childcare costs combined are cheaper than daycare costs solitary in DC, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.

(And let's be real: less money spent on these bills ways more cash to splurge on beignets.)

Price factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$6,356
  • Boilerplate cost of infant daycare per year: $5,747
  • Total price:$12,103

#four. Arkansas

Birthplace of the late and great Johnny Greenbacks and home to the Globe Championship Duck Calling Competition (#themoreyouknow), Arkansas is also one of the about affordable spots to take a baby.

In fact, the overall cost to become a kickoff-time mama in Arkansas is cheaper than New York's average toll ($fourteen,144) to put a little 1 through a year of daycare.

Toll factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$half-dozen,379
  • Boilerplate cost of infant daycare per year: $5,995
  • Total cost:$12,374

#5. Due south Dakota

Step aside, Mount Rushmore—you're not South Dakota'south only claim to fame. South Dakota has the fifth highest nascence rate per capita of any US state,6 and higher birth rates tend to correlate with a lower cost of childbirth.

Conspicuously, South Dakota's high nativity rate pays off. Plus, your kids volition have plenty of playmates—and you'll have a slew of neighborhood babysitters to cull from side by side time you need a night out.

Cost factors

  • Average childbirth medical expenses:$6,986
  • Average cost of infant daycare per year: $v,661
  • Full cost:$12,647

Each state's cost to be a first-time mom

Rank and state

Childbirth medical expenses

Infant daycare cost

Full cost

ane. District of Columbia "$half-dozen,724" "$22,631" "$29,355"
two. Massachusetts "$8,652" "$17,062" "$25,714"
3. New York "$9,880" "$14,144" "$24,024"
4. Connecticut "$9,095" "$xiii,880" "$22,975"
5. Alaska "$11,729" "$10,957" "$22,686"
6. New Bailiwick of jersey "$10,581" "$eleven,810" "$22,115"
7. Minnesota "$7,272" "$xiv,366" "$21,638"
viii. Maryland "$7,605" "$13,932" "$21,537"
ix. Illinois "$8,553" "$12,964" "$21,517"
ten. Wisconsin "$9,378" "$11,579" "$20,957"
11. Colorado "$7,669" "$13,154" "$20,823"
12. California "$8,601" "$11,817" "$20,418"
thirteen. Washington "$vii,462" "$12,733" "$xx,195"
fourteen. New Hampshire "$7,893" "$11,810" "$nineteen,703"
15. Rhode Island "$6,340" "$12,867" "$19,207"
16. Oregon "$seven,543" "$xi,322" "$18,865"
17. Vermont "$7,475" "$11,270" "$eighteen,745"
xviii. Pennsylvania "$7,942" "$10,640" "$18,582"
19. Virginia "$8,020" "$ten,458" "$18,478"
20. Delaware "$7,108" "$eleven,000" "$18,108"
21. Nevada "$8,130" "$ix,852" "$17,982"
22. Kansas "$6,493" "$11,201" "$17,694"
23. Florida "$viii,800" "$eight,694" "$17,494"
24. Arizona "$vii,716" "$ix,437" "$17,153"
25. Texas "$eight,381" "$8,759" "$17,140"
26. Michigan "$6,720" "$ix,882" "$16,602"
27. N Carolina "$7,293" "$9,255" "$16,548"
28. Indiana "$7,437" "$viii,918" "$16,355"
29. Maine "$6,827" "$9,512" "$16,339"
30. Iowa "$vi,737" "$9,485" "$xvi,222"
31. Montana "$half dozen,861" "$9,062" "$fifteen,923"
32. N Dakota "$7,588" "$viii,217" "$15,805"
33. Ohio "$half-dozen,647" "$eight,977" "$15,624"
34. Missouri "$six,798" "$8,632" "$xv,430"
35. Georgia "$7,704" "$vii,644" "$fifteen,348"
36. New Mexico "$seven,097" "$7,942" "$xv,039"
37. Utah "$6,275" "$8,641" "$14,916"
38. Hawaii "$vi,550" "$8,280" "$14,380"
39. W Virginia "$half-dozen,718" "$7,926" "$xiv,644"
40. Wyoming "$7,795" "$half dozen,541" "$14,336"
41. Nebraska "$vi,373" "$vii,926" "$14,299"
42. Southward Carolina "$7,281" "$6,475" "$xiii,756"
43. Idaho "$vi,541" "$7,200" "$13,741"
44. Oklahoma "$6,862" "$6,788" "$13,650"
45. Tennessee "$vii,596" "$v,857" "$13,453"
46. Kentucky "$half dozen,809" "$half-dozen,294" "$xiii,103"
47. South Dakota "$half dozen,986" "$5,661" "$12,647"
48. Arkansas "$six,379" "$5,995" "$12,374"
49. Louisiana "$half-dozen,356" "$five,747" "$12,103"
50. Alabama "$v,885" "$v,637" "$11,522"
51. Mississippi "$half-dozen,542" "$iv,822" "$eleven,364"

Methodology

Here are the information points Move.org analyzed to make up one's mind the near and to the lowest degree expensive states to go a new parent:

  • Average cost of infant day care for i year
  • Weighted childbirth cost
    • Uncomplicated vaginal births (68%)
    • Caesarean births (32%)

We used 2017 data on the number of vaginal births and C-sections in the United states of america to weight the cost of childbirth. More often than not, these figures include prenatal care.

Our weighted averages don't account for complicated vaginal births, though, which can cause costs to skyrocket. C-sections, while less mutual than vaginal births, tend to be significantly more than expensive as well.

Tell u.s.a. what y'all call back

To all our expectant and new moms reading: happy first Mother's Solar day! If the lack of sleep and spit-upwardly-on-your-favorite-shirt moments haven't scared y'all away, we hope your country'due south costs won't either.

Desire to know more about which cities and states are family- and women-friendly? Check out the Best Cities in America for Raising a Family and the Best Places for Women to Live.

How much does it cost to become a new parent in your state? We desire to hear—allow us know in the comments section beneath!

Sources