New Study: Massachusetts is the Most Expensive State to have a Baby

A new study released this month states that Massachusetts is the most expensive state in the country to have a baby.  According to the study released by BodyNest, sellers of a specialized pregnancy pillow, the cost of having a baby in Massachusetts is over $34,000 in the first year.

According to the article the methodology used by BodyNest to demine the cost of bringing that little bundle of joy into the world was done by analyzing data points of three major factors...1- giving birth in each state...2- the increase in housing cost moving from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom apartment...and 3- infant childcare costs for infant daycare over the course of the year.

The five most expensive states according to the BodyNest study were Massachusetts in the top spot with an average cost of $34,689, California was 2^nd with a cost of $29,695, Alaska 3^rd at $29,192, Connecticut 4^th at $27,979, and New Jersey the 5^th most expensive state to have a baby with an average cost of $26,693 in the first year.

The least expensive state to have a baby in is Alabama with a cost of over $20,000 cheaper than Massachusetts with a price tag of $14,130 according to the study.  Mississippi was 2^nd least expensive at $14,748, followed by Kentucky at $15,450, Arkansas at $15,470, and Louisiana the 5^th cheapest at $16,012.

The BodyNest source for compiling data on the cost of just the actual birth was PolicyScout.com.  According to their data having a vaginal birth without insurance in Massachusetts could run up to over $14,000.  Cut that figure in half with insurance.  According to the same report, a C-Section in Massachusetts could run over $19,000 without insurance and just over $11,000 with insurance.

You can check out the complete survey by the state as well as their resources by clicking on this link to the BodyNest study.