Giving birth in New York and New Jersey can cost up to $27,000

New York and New Jersey are among the most expensive states in the United States to give birth, with a median cost of about $23,000 for a vaginal delivery and $27,000 for a cesarean section when using in-network providers.

The figures come from FAIR Health, a nonprofit organization that tracks healthcare costs, and reflect the continued increase in the price of pregnancy and childbirth care across the country.

Nationwide, the median in-network cost is about $15,700 for a vaginal delivery and $20,000 for a cesarean section.

Alaska has the highest childbirth costs, with median prices of $31,000 for a vaginal delivery and $42,000 for a cesarean section. California also ranks among the more expensive states, with median costs of $21,000 for a vaginal birth and $25,000 for a C-section.

FAIR Health reported that national maternal care costs increased by about 3.6% over the past year. Compared with 2022, the median cost of a vaginal delivery has increased 21%, while cesarean delivery costs have risen 28%.

The figures include services associated with pregnancy and childbirth, such as medical consultations, anesthesia, laboratory tests, ultrasounds and other professional and hospital services.

However, these amounts generally represent what healthcare providers charge insurers and do not necessarily reflect what families ultimately pay out of pocket.

For out-of-network care, costs can be substantially higher. Nationwide, the median cost of an out-of-network cesarean section reaches $43,000, while in Nevada it can reach $79,000.

For families with health insurance, actual out-of-pocket costs are typically much lower. According to KFF, women with employer-sponsored insurance pay an average of about $2,700 out of pocket for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care.