Minnesota ranked one of the best states to have a baby

Newborn baby Henry Oyler gives a yawn at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Minnesota and North Dakota are ranked in the top three states to have a baby, according to WalletHub.

Best states to have a baby

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WalletHub compared states based on factors of cost, health care, baby-friendliness and family-friendliness. They used 31 metrics to determine the ranking, including cost of delivery and pediatricians per capita.

Here are the top five states to have a baby in, according to a WalletHub study:

  1. Massachusetts
  2. North Dakota
  3. Minnesota
  4. New Hampshire
  5. Maine

The bottom three states were Nevada, Alabama and Mississippi.

Local perspective:

Here is how Minnesota landed in some of the ranking categories.

  • No. 2 in Family-friendliness
  • No. 7 in Baby Friendliness
  • No. 7 in Health care
  • No. 23 in cost

Neighboring states ranked lower than Minnesota and North Dakota. Wisconsin came in at No. 16, Iowa was ranked No. 9, and South Dakota was No. 23. 

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