U.S. News names 2026 top hospitals for maternity care

It’s only been a few years since U.S. News & World Report began ranking hospitals in maternity care, but the ratings seem to be gaining more attention.

U.S. News released its 2026 list of the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care Tuesday morning. A record 901 hospitals submitted data for review, and U.S. News recognized 495 hospitals for excellence in maternity care.

In its analysis, U.S. news looks at newborn complications, rates of vaginal births and cesarean (C-section) deliveries, episiotomy rates, birthing-friendly practices, and commitment to breast feeding.

Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News, said in an email to Chief Healthcare Executive® that hospitals receiving recognition are performing fewer c-sections.

"The common denominator of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is that they meet our standards for severe unexpected newborn complications rates and c-section rates in low-risk pregnancies, which indicates to us that these hospitals are really doing well in looking out for the safety of both moms and babies in their care,” Winston said.

“What is encouraging to us is that we are actually seeing improvement in hospitals' c-section rates,” she added. “The median c-section rate among the hospitals that we evaluated fell by 2% this year, even while the median severe unexpected newborn complication rate remained relatively stable."

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Hospitals receiving honors also see lower rates of complications in newborns and perform fewer episiotomies.

U.S. News also identified 147 Maternity Care Access Hospitals providing labor and delivery services in areas with little or no obstetrics. On average, these hospitals are more than 22 miles away from the nearest hospital providing maternity care.

In the rankings, 92 hospitals were recognized both as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and Maternity Care Access Hospitals.

U.S. News notes that its analysis of maternity care in hospitals is entirely based on objective data. For the first time this year, U.S. News analyzed data from the previous calendar year. In the past, the U.S. News researchers looked at data from two years ago.

Parents can use the U.S. News analysis to compare hospitals in terms of complication rates and to get a better handle on the services available at those hospitals.

Winston points out that parents can compare hospitals to see if they have neonatal intensive care units or lactation services. Parents can also see if hospitals and health systems offer doulas or midwives.

Top metro areas

These metropolitan areas had the highest number of Best Maternity Care Hospitals.

New York City: 39

Los Angeles: 22

Chicago: 21

Riverside-San Bernardino: 13

Dallas-Fort Worth: 12

Philadelphia: 11

Denver: 10

San Francisco: 10

St. Louis: 9

Boston: 8

Kansas City: 8

San Diego: 8

Washington, D.C.: 8

Top 10 states

These states had the highest number of Best Maternity Care Hospitals.

California: 80

Texas: 31

New Jersey: 27

New York: 25

Illinois: 23

North Carolina: 22

Pennsylvania: 21

Wisconsin: 21

Utah: 18

Indiana: 16

• Read more: U.S. News names top children’s hospitals for 2025-26

Many health systems and hospitals in rural areas have shuttered their labor and delivery units.

Since 2020, 100 rural hospitals across America have stopped delivering babies, according to a report released in April by the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform.

Less than half of America’s rural hospitals still have labor and delivery units. Only 42% of rural hospitals deliver babies, the report states.

With fewer hospitals offering maternity care, healthcare leaders have warned that the nation’s alarming rate of pregnancy-related deaths and complications could get worse. More than one-third (35%) of all U.S. counties qualify as maternity care deserts because there are no obstetric services, the March of Dimes says.