I don't need to tell you about inflation, folks. You know how it is with the cost of living. Even purchasing basic everyday necessities can break the bank. And let's not even get into holiday shopping, for crying out loud!

But consider this: What about the cost of living if you're going to be raising a beautiful bundle of joy? Nowadays, the average cost of a conventional birth is over $2,600. That's WITH insurance. The average cost is $15,000 without insurance.

Luckily, our good friends and personal finance experts at WalletHub did some research and the upside is pretty great news!

To determine the best and worst states to have a baby, WalletHub did its usual comprehensive research by comparing all 50 states along with the District of Columbia across 31 key indicators.

The key indicators include everything from average infant-care costs, hospital charges for conventional and Cesarian deliveries, the number of pediatricians per capita, childcare centers per capita, and much more.

I'm happy to report that the great state of Massachusetts ranked #1 as the Best State to Have a Baby! The Commonwealth ranked high enough in several key metrics to be the top dog overall.

Without further ado, here are the Best States to Have a Baby according to WalletHub:

  1. Massachusetts
  2. Minnesota
  3. Vermont
  4. Rhode Island
  5. North Dakota
  6. New Hampshire
  7. Iowa
  8. Utah
  9. Connecticut
  10. Washington

And since we've come this far we may as well proceed to the bottom of the list. Here are the Worst States to Have a Baby:

  1. Mississippi
  2. Alabama
  3. South Carolina
  4. Louisiana
  5. West Virginia

Check out the full rankings at WalletHub's website here. And big thanks to WalletHub, as always, for doing all the hard work.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

Gallery Credit: Hannah Lang

LOOK: What major laws were passed the year you were born?

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff

More From WBEC FM