{"id":4324,"date":"2026-08-05T10:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T10:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4324"},"modified":"2026-08-05T10:07:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T10:07:05","slug":"sc-one-of-worst-states-to-have-a-baby-in-2026-new-study-shows-heres-where-it-ranks-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4324","title":{"rendered":"SC one of worst states to have a baby in 2026, new study shows. Here\u2019s where it ranks &#038; why"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>South Carolina is one of the worst states to have a baby, according to a new study from WalletHub.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4322\">Will SC\u2019s liquor liability requirements stay in place when the budget is adopted?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The state ranked 46 of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Massachusetts was ranked first.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The personal finance website looked at 31 metrics covering \u201caffordability, health care accessibility, and baby- and family-friendliness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe analysis includes factors such as hospital conventional-delivery charges, annual average infant-care costs, and the number of pediatricians per capita,\u201d WalletHub said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe best states for having a baby minimize costs while providing top-notch care for both newborns and their mothers,\u201d Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst said. \u201cThey also continue to be good environments for parents even long after the birth, with high-quality pediatric care, affordable and accessible child care, and a strong economic environment that makes providing for a child easier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>SC rankings<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>South Carolina\u2019s rankings are:<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>30<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Hospital Cesarean-Delivery Charges<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>29<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Hospital Conventional-Delivery Charges<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>46<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Infant Mortality Rate<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>45<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Rate of Low Birth-Weight<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>33<sup>rd<\/sup> \u2013 Midwives &amp; OB-GYNs per Capita<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>37<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Pediatricians &amp; Family Medicine Physicians per Capita<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>40<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Child-Care Centers per Capita<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>38<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 Parental-Leave Policy Score<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The South Carolina Department of Public Health said in its  released in December that the infant mortality rate increased from 2022 to 2023, with 403 deaths during the first year of life. It was 392 in 2022.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRacial and ethnic disparities persisted in 2023, with infants born to Black women dying at more than twice the rate (11.7) of white women (5.2),\u201d the agency said. \u201cAdditionally, the infant mortality rate among births to Hispanic mothers increased for the first time in five years, rising from 4.1 in 2022 to 5.9 in 2023\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The three leading causes of infant death in 2023 were:<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Disorders related to preterm birth and low birth weight<\/li>\n<li>Congenital malformations or birth defects<\/li>\n<li>Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>WalletHub said the top states for babies after Massachusetts were Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>After South Carolina, the worst states were Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4320\">Roaches, organic growth, raw food. Worst SC Midlands restaurant inspections in July<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMassachusetts is the best state to have a baby, in large part because it has the third-lowest infant mortality rate in the country and the third-lowest maternal mortality rate,\u201d WalletHub said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Plus, its neonatal hospitals are the best in the country.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Massachusetts has the sixth-lowest share of households with infants or toddlers experiencing food insecurity, and the sixth-highest share of children under three years old with all seven recommended vaccines.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn addition, parents in Massachusetts benefit from the best leave policies in the nation after the birth of a child,\u201d WalletHub said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Minnesota has the third-lowest health insurance premiums in the nation, high quality care, and large number of medical professionals.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>North Dakota has the lowest costs in the country for a conventional delivery \u2014 $9,700 compared to some places that can cost $32,000.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>North Dakota also has the second-lowest costs for a conventional birth with complications, and the third-lowest cesarean section costs.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4318\">SC\u2019s Johnson trailed in fundraising before Dem primary. Is he turning the tide?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Carolina is one of the worst states to have a baby in 2026, according to a new study. Here\u2019s where SC ranks in the study and why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-south-carolina"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SC one of worst states to have a baby in 2026, new study shows. 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