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What's Good

•Compared to other states, California has among the most generous family-leave and disability laws in our survey.

•California allows greater dependent-related tax breaks than most.

•The CDC reports very low infant mortality rates for California.

•San Diego babies are 26 percent less likely than average to be born with low birth weight.

•Babies here are 19 percent less likely than average to be born prematurely.

•Just 2 percent of pregnant women here receive late or inadequate prenatal care, the 7th best score in our survey. In the average city in our survey, 5 percent receive late or inadequate care.

•86 percent of San Diego mothers attempt breastfeeding. That's the 8th highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 75 percent.

•By six months of age, 54 percent of San Diego babies are still being breastfed. That's the 7th highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 43 percent.

•California has particularly progressive laws guaranteeing a nursing mother the right to breastfeed in public.

•The local climate is especially mild - perfect for getting out and working off pregnancy weight gain.

•Once San Diego mothers begin breastfeeding, they are 13 percent more likely than average to continue through 6 months. That's the 9th highest level of follow-through of any city in our report.

•San Diego has one doula for every 159 live births, the 5th highest ratio in our survey. The national average is one doula per 649 live births.

•San Diego has 80 midwives for every 1,000 births, the 10th highest in our survey. The national average is 37 midwives for every 1,000 births.

•According to our survey of park departments, for every 10,000 residents, San Diego has 275 miles of public trails and pathways for hiking and stroller use, the 6th highest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 79 trail miles for every 10,000 residents.

•With one acre of parkland for every 32 residents, there's 73 percent more public park space than average here, relative to population.

•San Diego has 49 lactation consultants for every 10,000 live births, the 3rd highest ratio in our survey. The average city in our survey has 23 lactation consultants per 10,000 live births.

•There are 52 percent more advanced fertility clinics per capita than average here, the 10th highest ratio in our survey.

•California stands out in a measure of legislation related to cord blood education, research and related issues.

•San Diego has 17 licensed home day cares for every 1,000 children under 4 years, the 10th highest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 13.

•There are no state laws requiring day care workers to undergo special SIDS prevention training. Many other states mandate such training.

•San Diego's violent crime rate is 51 percent lower than average, the 6th lowest in our survey, in fact.

•San Diego has a 36 percent lower property crime rate than average, the 7th lowest in our survey.

Needs Improvement

•Hospital costs here are among the highest in our survey.

•According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, San Diego is 53 percent less affordable than average for cities in our survey.

•Air quality here is worse here than most cities in our survey. Air quality has been linked to childhood asthma and fertility rates, among other things.

•There are no state laws requiring day care workers to undergo special SIDS prevention training. Many other states mandate such training.

•In a comparison of inspection schedules for day-care centers, California requires less frequent visits than average.

•According to the Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M University, San Diego has one of the worst commutes of any city in our survey. It takes 41 percent longer to drive the same route during rush hour than in free-flowing traffic. That puts a lot more pressure on parents rushing to day care at the end of the day.