Is Fayetteville Really One of the Worst Cities for New Moms?

Mother's Day is almost here, and it looks like Fayetteville may be one of the worst cities for new moms.

We don't agree with this one, but according to a study done by Lawnstarter.com, Fayetteville ranked as the 179th out of 180 cities for new moms to be in.

Let's take a deeper look here at what made this possible. Lawnstarter measured 40 different factors related to new mothers. These included things like OB/GYN and pediatrician access, child care costs, new mom support groups, and a host of other measurements.

"Welcoming a new baby is always a challenge, and during the pandemic, especially so," Annette Regan, an assistant professor at the University of San Francisco-Orange County Campus. "I think the three biggest challenges today are finding consistent social support, finding reliable child care, and supporting positive mental health."

According to the study, Fayetteville ranked exceptionally low in Maternity Care Rank (164), Child Care Rank (175), Mom Protections Rank (144), and Socioeconomics Rank (171). Fayetteville did get high marks for Affordability Rank (32) and Social Support Rank (17).

The low mark in Maternity Care is for things like high-quality medical guidance and resources. Child Care Rank included costs for childbirth, as well as affordability and availability of daycare. Moms Protection Rank is largely based on legal protections for paid leave, job security and wage replacement. Socioeconomic Rank largely looked at unemployment rates for women with children, and poverty levels.

The only city on the list lower than Fayetteville was Detroit, Michigan.

Here's a look at the top cities in the country, as well as where other North Carolina cities ranked on the list: