Why Aren’t More People Having Babies In NJ? Because The Cost Is OUTRAGEOUS

If you’ve been wondering why fewer people in New Jersey are having kids, here’s one major clue: it now costs more to give birth than it does to buy a decent car.

Seriously.

According to new research from iSelect, New Jersey ranks as the 6th worst state in the U.S. for the overall burden of having a baby. And once you see the numbers, it’s hard not to understand why.

It Costs Over $33,000 to Have a Baby in New Jersey

Let’s start with the headline stat: the average cost of giving birth in New Jersey is $33,122. That’s not raising a kid. That’s not daycare. That’s just the bill to have the baby before any of the other stuff is even relevant yet. So, what does insurance cover exactly??

• READ MORE: NJ Bosses Are Desperate For Workers To Stop Gaming Late At Night

• READ MORE: Looking For A Wife In Atlantic County? Viral TikToker Says The Best Are In EHT

To put that into perspective, you could walk into a dealership today and drive off with a brand-new car for less than that. And unless you’re shopping luxury, you’d probably still have money left over.

New Jersey’s Ranking Tells a Bigger Story

The study gave New Jersey a score of 36.84 out of 100, with lower scores meaning a heavier burden on parents.

That ranking factors in:

◾ Birth costs
◾ Employer requirements for paid maternity leave (which are mandatory in NJ)
◾ Maternal mortality rate (26 per 100,000 births)

Get our free mobile app

While paid leave laws do help, they’re clearly not enough to offset the financial and medical realities families are facing.