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Report finds that Mass. is the most expensive state to have a baby in

Having a baby in Massachusetts costs $20,000 more than having a baby in Alabama.

An ultrasound machine sits next to an exam table in an examination room at Whole Woman's Health of South Bend on June 19, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Scott Olson/Getty Images

By Susannah Sudborough

March 13, 2022

Massachusetts is the most expensive state in which to have a baby, a new report says.

Pregnancy pillow provider Body Nest evaluated data from the CDC, Economic Police Institute, and others on hospital birth costs, paying for daycare, moving into a bigger apartment, and other expenses that come with having a baby.

According to the analysis, Massachusetts is the most expensive state in which to have a baby, with the total cost coming to $34,689.

According to the report, having a baby in Massachusetts costs $20,000 more than having a baby in Alabama, the cheapest state in which to have a baby.

The report also indicates that it is significantly more expensive to have a baby in Massachusetts than it is in most other states. The second-most expensive state in which to have a baby is California, with a total cost of $29,695.

The biggest portion of baby-related costs in Massachusetts comes from the average yearly cost of childcare for a year, which the report says is $20,913 per year. That’s significantly more than the the state with second-highest average yearly childcare cost, California, which reportedly costs $16,945 per year.

According to the report, Massachusetts also has the second-highest average baby-related rent increase, at $4,994.

While, according to the report, the most expensive states to have a baby are spread out across the country, all of the least expensive states to have a baby in are in the South.