C-section cost in California
In California, 9 hospitals publish a cash price for cesarean delivery, including prenatal and postpartum care: from $1,236.67 to $10,026.00, with a median of $5,140.38. The lowest price is at Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage). The highest price is 8.1× the lowest.
- The median here, $5,140.38, is 14% above the US median of $4,490.98.
- California ranks 10th of 15 states by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 9 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 59510. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map
Hospitals in California, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Medical Center lowest Rancho Mirage · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA HC OB Routine Care, Csection, Postpartum | $1,236.67 | $14,086.00 | Apr 2, 2026 source file |
| Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Ridgecrest · Bakersfield-Delano, CA Cesarean delivery | $1,779.61 | $3,357.75 | Nov 6, 2026 source file |
| Oroville Hospital Oroville · Chico, CA Obstetric care, planned cesarean delivery | $1,920.00 | $3,840.00 | — source file |
| Southern Monterey County Memorial Hospital King City · Salinas, CA Cesarean delivery with care before and after delivery | $2,618.25 | $3,491.00 | Oct 28, 2026 source file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA CESAREAN DELIVERY | $5,140.38 | $8,567.30 | Oct 8, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Outpatient Surgical Group 3 | $5,642.80 | $8,681.23 | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Plumas District Hospital Quincy · Quincy, CA Cesarean delivery with care before and after delivery | $5,745.60 | $7,182.00 | Nov 6, 2026 source file |
| Northern Inyo Hospital Bishop · Bishop, CA 59510 Routine obstetric care including antepartum care, cesarean delivery, and postpartum care | $6,961.00 | $6,961.00 | Oct 1, 2024 source file |
| Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital Loma Linda · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA HC RTN OB ANTPM/C SCTN/PPRTM CARE | $10,026.00 | $22,280.00 | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2 | $1,236.67 | $5,631.34 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 1 | $1,779.61 | $1,779.61 |
| Bishop, CA | 1 | $6,961.00 | $6,961.00 |
| Chico, CA | 1 | $1,920.00 | $1,920.00 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1 | $5,642.80 | $5,642.80 |
| Quincy, CA | 1 | $5,745.60 | $5,745.60 |
| Salinas, CA | 1 | $2,618.25 | $2,618.25 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1 | $5,140.38 | $5,140.38 |
What C-section is, what the price covers and why prices differ: C-section explained.
Cesarean delivery, including prenatal and postpartum care in other states
- Alabama$3,028.77, 4 hospitals
- Arkansas$3,845.84, 2 hospitals
- Colorado$17,378.50, 1 hospital
- Georgia$13,051.00
- Idaho$4,963.51, 2 hospitals
- Illinois$5,124.90
- Indiana$2,560.74, 1 hospital
- Iowa$3,580.00
- Kansas$3,624.48
- Kentucky$2,825.90, 1 hospital
- Louisiana$2,097.65, 2 hospitals
- Maine$6,410.25, 3 hospitals
- Maryland$2,601.00, 1 hospital
- Michigan$2,909.65
- Minnesota$3,560.64
- Missouri$3,852.00
- Montana$5,658.57, 4 hospitals
- Nebraska$4,935.50
- New Hampshire$2,568.27, 2 hospitals
- New Jersey$5,339.00
- New Mexico$3,251.54, 3 hospitals
- New York$6,220.28
- Ohio$4,782.00
- Oklahoma$5,698.68, 2 hospitals
- Oregon$7,765.50, 3 hospitals
- Pennsylvania$5,683.43
- South Carolina$2,322.00, 1 hospital
- South Dakota$6,793.00, 1 hospital
- Tennessee$1,554.60, 1 hospital
- Texas$4,155.91
- Utah$3,111.00, 1 hospital
- Vermont$3,306.00, 1 hospital
- Washington$4,988.93, 4 hospitals
- Wisconsin$5,437.94
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.