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What's Good

•According to data from the CDC, maternal mortality in Florida is especially low.

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

•At $63, the average doctor's office visit here is the lowest in our survey, compared to a national average of $82.

•11.3 percent of births statewide are attended by midwives, compared to a national average of 7.3 percent.

•With one acre of parkland for every 10 residents, there's 91 percent more public park space than average here, relative to population.

•State laws require stringent background checks for day-care workers.

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

•According to the Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M University, Jacksonville has one of the best commutes of any city in our survey, it takes only 18 percent longer to drive the same route during rush hour than in free-flowing traffic. That takes a lot of pressure off parents rushing to day care at the end of the day.

Needs Improvement

•The CDC reports very high infant mortality rates for Florida.

•Jacksonville babies are 13 percent more likely than average to be born with low birth weight.

•Babies here are 12 percent more likely than average to be born prematurely.

•State laws do not require health insurance companies to provide or offer any fertility-related services.

•Florida devotes less money relative to population than most states to child car-seat-check stations.

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