Iowa Among the Best States to Have a Baby

Do you have a baby on the way, or are you thinking about having kiddos? Well, if so, the state you live in could determine the quality of care you'll receive when it comes to having a baby.

Bringing a little one into the world is an exciting life experience no matter what state you're in, but WalletHub compared all 50 states to determine which ones were among the best and worst to have a baby. WalletHub looked at four key dimensions such as "cost, health care, baby-friendliness, and family-friendliness". Looking at the data, it turns out that Iowa is a pretty good state to have a baby, as we landed on the better half of the list.

Iowa ranked No. 15 on the list, beating out our neighbors Wisconsin (23), Illinois (20), Missouri (36), Nebraska (18) and South Dakota (19). The only neighbor we didn't beat is No. 2 ranked Minnesota. That's pretty good, but no surprise when you think about some of our great facilities that we have like the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital (which by the way, the annual KHAK Radiothon for the Children's Miracle Network is THIS Friday...tune in to find out how you can help).

It's also no surprise to me considering I just had a baby myself. In my opinion (that's supported by the study) Iowa is such a family-friendly state. It's safe, has great healthcare, has plenty of family-friendly activities, and is affordable (which is a big one). Yay, us!

You can find out more about the data behind the study here, or you can take our word for it and celebrate being on the better half of the list. And if you have any cute little bundles of joy, you can send me a picture in the app. Looking at cute babies makes me smile.