U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings Dec. 9.
To compile the list, U.S. News evaluated a record-breaking 901 hospitals providing labor and delivery services. Hospitals submitted detailed data, which were examined based on quality measures, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies; severe, unexpected newborn complication rates; routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery rates; exclusive breast milk feeding rates; episiotomy rates; birthing-friendly practice; and reporting on outcomes disparities.
For its latest ratings, U.S. News asked hospitals to submit data from 2024 — the calendar year immediately before the survey. Previously, hospitals submitted data from two years prior.
The media company said hospitals could also submit electronic clinical quality measures instead of chart-abstracted perinatal care measures for cesarean birth, exclusive human milk feeding and severe unexpected newborn complications.
Overall, 495 hospitals made the final list, and 20 metropolitan areas had the greatest number of hospitals recognized for maternity care. These areas, listed in alphabetical order, are:
- Boston
- Charlotte, N.C
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Kansas City, Mo., and Kan.
- Los Angeles
- Milwaukee
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- St. Louis
- Washington, D.C.
The following list is the number of hospitals in each state included in the ratings:
California — 80
Texas — 31
New Jersey — 27
New York — 25
Illinois — 23
North Carolina — 22
Pennsylvania — 21
Wisconsin — 21
Utah — 18
Indiana — 16
Colorado — 15
Ohio — 15
Virginia — 15
Missouri — 14
South Carolina — 14
Florida — 13
Michigan — 11
Kansas — 10
Massachusetts — 10
Georgia — Seven
Kentucky — Six
Maryland — Six
Minnesota — Six
Oklahoma — Six
Iowa — Five
Louisiana — Five
Nevada — Five
Connecticut — Four
Montana — Four
Oregon — Four
Alabama — Three
Arizona — Three
Tennessee — Three
Arkansas — Two
Hawaii — Two
Idaho — Two
New Hampshire — Two
West Virginia — Two
Wyoming — Two
Alaska — One
District of Columbia — One
Maine — One
Mississippi — One
Nebraska — One
New Mexico — One
North Dakota — One
Delaware — Zero
Rhode Island — Zero
South Dakota — Zero
Vermont — Zero
View the full ratings here. More information about the methodology is available here.
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