10 states with the most OB-GYNs and pediatricians

OB-GYNs and pediatricians are vital providers for all genders and families — and yet, depending on where you live, there may not be enough of them to go around. 

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, half of U.S. counties lack a single OB-GYN, while the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that by 2030, the U.S. will be short on as many as 27,000 pediatricians. The loss of Roe v. Wade has only made the situation worse, with OB-GYN applications dropping by 10% in states with abortion bans, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. 

Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Birth Injury Lawyers Group ranked which states have the highest number of OB-GYNs and pediatricians per 100,000 residents, pinpointing where Americans may be impacted least by these shortages. States like New York, Hawaii and Vermont ranked high, but even those numbers could dwindle in the future.

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"More OB-GYNs and pediatricians are retiring compared to medical residents entering these fields, and the Dobbs decision is now a factor in med school OB-GYN residency picks, which can further regionalize disparities in care," says Dr. Mary Jacobson, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer of women's health provider Alpha Medical. "Pediatrics is a low-paying field compared to adult medicine, especially for students financing their education with loans."

Dr. Jacobson notes that medical students avoid primary care specialties in general due to poor compensation, with pediatricians making $120,000 less than the average physician, according to Medscape. At the same time, OB-GYN as a practice is intimidating, ranking as one of the physician populations that sees the most lawsuits in the U.S.

Here are 10 states with the most OB-GYNs and pediatricians.