These are the best states to have a baby, new study finds

Welcoming a baby comes with joy, challenges, and high costs — and a new study ranks the most ideal places in the U.S. to do it.

To determine the best places in the U.S. to have a baby , WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key measures of cost and health care accessibility, as well as baby- and family-friendliness.

Their data set ranged from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita.

Massachusetts is best state to have baby, according to study

By the numbers:

The data found that Massachusetts was the best state to have a baby, in large part because it has the third-lowest infant mortality rate in the country and the eighth-lowest maternal mortality rate. It also has the best neona