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Thursday, Aug 20, 2026

Does Minnesota have counties that are maternity care deserts?

Maddie Robinson, MinnPost
yes

Maternity health care deserts – regions with no obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities – exist in nearly every state in the U.S., including Minnesota. They are typically associated with poorer maternal and infant health and higher mortality risks.

Twenty-four Minnesota counties are considered maternity care deserts, including Lake and Cook in the northeast, and several that include tribal lands, including Mahnomen and Clearwater. About 64,000 Minnesota women between the ages of 15 and 44 live in maternity care deserts, with about 4,000 births in these regions annually.

Nationwide, about 35% of counties, and 58% of rural counties, are maternity care deserts, according to maternal and infant health nonprofit March of Dimes. 

Recent and ongoing cuts to Medicaid are projected to increase the number of maternity care deserts in the United States. Medicaid covered 41% of U.S. births and nearly half in rural areas in 2023.

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