How Much Does Raising a Child Cost? The Full Breakdown

A middle-income, married-couple family spends about $233,610 to raise a child from birth through age 17, in 2015 dollars. That is the latest official estimate from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Adjusted for inflation with the Consumer Price Index, it comes to roughly $317,300 in 2025 dollars. Neither figure includes pregnancy, birth, or college.

Your own total depends on income, location, and child care needs. In 2025 dollars, the USDA range runs from about $237,300 for lower-income families to about $505,600 for higher-income ones. Below, you’ll find where the money goes, how costs change with age, and which tax breaks help.

What Is the Average Cost of Raising a Child?

The USDA’s report Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015 remains the standard reference. It drew on 2011–15 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. The sample covered 23,297 married-couple and 7,030 single-parent households. The USDA has not published a newer edition since its release in 2017.

For a middle-income family, annual spending ran from $12,350 to $13,900 per child in 2015, depending on age. That equals about $16,780 to $18,880 a year in 2025 dollars. Middle income here means a before-tax household income of $59,200 to $107,400 in 2015.

Where Does the Money Go?

Housing takes the biggest share of child-rearing costs at every income level. Food and child care come next for middle-income families. The table shows each category in 2015 dollars and in 2025 dollars.

Housing

Housing makes up 29% of the total for a middle-income family. The USDA counts the average cost of an additional bedroom, not your whole rent or mortgage. Across income groups, housing ranged from 26% to 33% of spending on a child.

Food

Food is the second-largest expense at 18%. It grows with your child’s appetite: from $1,580 a year at ages 0–2 to $2,790 at ages 15–17, in 2015 dollars. In 2025 dollars, that is about $2,150 rising to $3,790 a year.

Planning meals and cooking at home keeps this category in check. Buying staples in bulk helps too, especially once you have more than one child at the table.

Child Care and Education

Child care and education average 16% of the total for families who pay for them. The cost peaks before age 6, when most of it goes to child care before full-day school. For higher-income families, this category rises to 23% of spending.

Newer federal data shows how steep child care can be. The Department of Labor’s National Database of Childcare Prices puts 2022 prices for full-day care at $6,552 to $15,600 a year for one child. That is 8.9% to 16% of median family income, depending on the county and type of care.

The fact that the median cost of center-based infant care is more than the median cost of rent should be of urgent concern.

Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director, US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau

School-age costs depend on your choices. Some families also budget for tutoring or music lessons, which vary by subject and city.

Transportation

Transportation accounts for 15% of the total. It covers car payments, fuel, insurance, and public transit. Spending peaks at ages 15–17, at $2,270 a year in 2015 dollars, as teens start driving or travel farther for activities.

Health Care

Health care makes up 9% of the total. The USDA counts out-of-pocket costs only, including any insurance premiums your employer doesn’t pay. Marketplace health plans must cover pediatric services, including oral and vision care.

Clothing and Miscellaneous Costs

Clothing accounts for 6% of the total, and miscellaneous costs for 7%. Miscellaneous covers personal care, entertainment, and reading materials. Hand-me-downs and secondhand stores can trim both categories.

At What Age Are Children Most Expensive?

The teen years cost the most. For a middle-income family, ages 15–17 averaged $13,900 a year in 2015 dollars, or about $18,880 in 2025 dollars. Food and transportation drive the rise. The early years run close behind because of child care.

• Ages 0–2: $12,680 a year (about $17,220 in 2025 dollars)
• Ages 3–5: $12,730 a year (about $17,290)
• Ages 6–8: $12,350 a year (about $16,780)
• Ages 9–11: $13,180 a year (about $17,900)
• Ages 12–14: $13,030 a year (about $17,700)
• Ages 15–17: $13,900 a year (about $18,880)

Costs dip slightly at ages 6–8, once children start full-day school. From there, food, clothing, and health care costs climb steadily with age.

The first year also brings one-time purchases, such as a crib, car seat, and stroller. Prices vary widely, so it pays to compare new and secondhand gear before your baby arrives.

How Do Income and Location Change the Cost?

Higher-income families spend more in dollars but a smaller share of their income. Location matters too, mostly because of housing and child care prices.

Cost by Household Income

Lower-income families, earning under $59,200 in 2015, spent $174,690 per child through age 17. Higher-income families, earning over $107,400, spent $372,210. In 2025 dollars, that is about $237,280 and $505,580.

As a share of before-tax income, lower-income families spent 27% on each child. Middle-income families spent 16%, and higher-income families 11%. For single parents earning under $59,200, spending came to $172,200, about the same as married couples at that income.

Cost by Region

Families in the urban Northeast spent the most, followed by the urban West and urban South. Costs were 27% lower in rural areas than in the urban Northeast.

The USDA did not publish state-by-state estimates. For local child care prices, the National Database of Childcare Prices offers county-level figures.

Do More Children Cost Less per Child?

Yes, each child costs less as your family grows. Families with one child spent 27% more on that child than a two-child family spent on each child. Families with three or more children spent 24% less per child.

Shared bedrooms, hand-me-down clothing, and bulk food buying explain much of the difference. Your total family budget still rises with each child.

What the Estimate Leaves Out: Birth, Leave, and College

The USDA figures start at birth and stop at age 17. Pregnancy, delivery, and college all sit outside them. Marketplace health plans must cover pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care, but deductibles and copays still apply.

Time off work is another cost. The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave after a birth. Pay during that leave depends on your employer and your state.

College adds a separate bill. The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2025 lists these average published tuition and fees for 2025–26:

• Public two-year, in-district: $4,150 a year
• Public four-year, in-state: $11,950 a year
• Public four-year, out-of-state: $31,880 a year
• Private nonprofit four-year: $45,000 a year

These are sticker prices before grant aid, and they exclude housing and food. A 529 plan lets savings grow without federal tax when you spend them on qualified education expenses.

How Have Child-Rearing Costs Changed Since 1960?

In 1960, a middle-income family spent $25,229 to raise a child, or $202,020 in 2015 dollars. By 2015, real spending had risen 16% to $233,610. Child care and education drove much of the change.

That category grew from 2% of child-rearing costs in 1960 to 16% in 2015. Health care also more than doubled its share. Clothing, by contrast, got cheaper in real terms.

How Can Families Lower the Cost?

Federal tax breaks offset part of the cost each year. Check which ones you qualify for when you file:

• Child Tax Credit: up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, with up to $1,700 refundable.
• Child and Dependent Care Credit: a credit on up to $3,000 of care expenses for one child, or $6,000 for two or more.
• Dependent care FSA: from 2026, you can set aside up to $7,500 a year before tax for child care through an employer plan.
• Earned Income Tax Credit: for tax year 2025, up to $8,046 for families with three or more children.

Everyday habits add up too. Swap clothes and gear with other parents, borrow books and games from the library, and use free community programs. Starting a 529 plan early gives savings more time to grow.

Education choices make a big difference over 18 years. Public, charter, and magnet schools charge no tuition, and some families find homeschooling costs and options worth a look. Pick the path that fits your child and your budget.