Raising kids is expensive, and getting even pricier.
It costs nearly $300,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18 in the U.S., according to a recent LendingTree study, which included cost estimates for necessities like housing, child care, food and clothing. The total estimated cost of $297,674 is more than a 25% jump from LendingTree's 2023 estimate of $237,482.
Child care is, unsurprisingly, a major contributor to that total. Though parents may only have to pay for day care or other supervision for the first few years of a child's life, that cost alone can take a major toll on the family's finances.
Child care is considered affordable if it costs no more than 7% of a family's income, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. But there is no state where the average cost of infant care is within that threshold for families earning the local median income, according to recent data collected by Economic Policy Institute.
In South Dakota, average child-care costs are the smallest share of median income of any state. There, a family earning the median income of $92,383 would spend 9.4% of earnings on child care for an infant. On the opposite end of the spectrum, families may shell out 21% of annual income on infant care in New Mexico, where child care takes up the largest share of income, EPI finds.
What's more, infant and toddler care may be more expensive than college. EPI also compared child-care costs with public college tuition, and in 38 states and Washington, D.C., the average annual cost for infant care is higher than the in-state tuition for a public four-year college.
Here's the average cost of child care and in-state tuition in all 50 states and D.C.
Alabama
- Average annual cost of infant care: $7,871
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,268
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,272
- Median family income: $80,065
Alaska
- Average annual cost of infant care: $20,943
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $16,768
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,434
- Median family income: $107,779
Arizona
- Average annual cost of infant care: $15,625
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $12,152
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,971
- Median family income: $94,435
Arkansas
- Average annual cost of infant care: $8,873
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,670
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,032
- Median family income: $76,985
California
- Average annual cost of infant care: $21,945
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,020
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,786
- Median family income: $119,071
Colorado
- Average annual cost of infant care: $21,840
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $15,992
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,967
- Median family income: $122,150
Connecticut
- Average annual cost of infant care: $20,254
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $16,493
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $16,035
- Median family income: $124,716
Delaware
- Average annual cost of infant care: $16,220
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $12,168
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,127
- Median family income: $103,160
District of Columbia
- Average annual cost of infant care: $28,356
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $22,714
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $6,258
- Median family income: $240,194
Florida
- Average annual cost of infant care: $13,021
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,548
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $4,618
- Median family income: $92,382
Georgia
- Average annual cost of infant care: $11,863
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,359
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,197
- Median family income: $91,356
Hawaii
- Average annual cost of infant care: $21,167
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $15,224
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,665
- Median family income: $105,726
Idaho
- Average annual cost of infant care: $9,630
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,117
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,772
- Median family income: $85,197
Illinois
- Average annual cost of infant care: $16,107
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,947
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,178
- Median family income: $112,912
Indiana
- Average annual cost of infant care: $14,471
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,925
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,056
- Median family income: $90,329
Iowa
- Average annual cost of infant care: $9,605
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,276
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,295
- Median family income: $94,435
Kansas
- Average annual cost of infant care: $9,105
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,963
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,434
- Median family income: $90,329
Kentucky
- Average annual cost of infant care: $8,756
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,778
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,494
- Median family income: $76,985
Louisiana
- Average annual cost of infant care: $8,873
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,153
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,013
- Median family income: $84,171
Maine
- Average annual cost of infant care: $13,310
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,227
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,999
- Median family income: $97,515
Maryland
- Average annual cost of infant care: $18,946
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,355
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,214
- Median family income: $121,329
Massachusetts
- Average annual cost of infant care: $26,709
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,939
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,592
- Median family income: $147,606
Michigan
- Average annual cost of infant care: $10,023
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,007
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,972
- Median family income: $91,725
Minnesota
- Average annual cost of infant care: $22,569
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,882
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $13,095
- Median family income: $120,097
Mississippi
- Average annual cost of infant care: $6,868
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $6,251
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,277
- Median family income: $68,774
Missouri
- Average annual cost of infant care: $13,173
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,332
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,097
- Median family income: $90,329
Montana
- Average annual cost of infant care: $12,778
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,418
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,425
- Median family income: $92,382
Nebraska
- Average annual cost of infant care: $14,106
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,863
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,015
- Median family income: $98,439
Nevada
- Average annual cost of infant care: $15,950
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,268
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $6,839
- Median family income: $87,250
New Hampshire
- Average annual cost of infant care: $17,364
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,437
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $17,312
- Median family income: $129,335
New Jersey
- Average annual cost of infant care: $18,155
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,534
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,528
- Median family income: $139,703
New Mexico
- Average annual cost of infant care: $14,244
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,993
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,656
- Median family income: $67,747
New York
- Average annual cost of infant care: $17,361
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,988
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,723
- Median family income: $111,885
North Carolina
- Average annual cost of infant care: $11,720
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,744
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,453
- Median family income: $91,356
North Dakota
- Average annual cost of infant care: $12,373
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,474
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,896
- Median family income: $113,528
Ohio
- Average annual cost of infant care: $17,071
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,426
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,110
- Median family income: $96,488
Oklahoma
- Average annual cost of infant care: $12,468
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,790
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,666
- Median family income: $80,886
Oregon
- Average annual cost of infant care: $19,064
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,717
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,638
- Median family income: $104,700
Pennsylvania
- Average annual cost of infant care: $13,354
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,798
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $16,497
- Median family income: $100,594
Rhode Island
- Average annual cost of infant care: $16,758
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,193
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,998
- Median family income: $106,753
South Carolina
- Average annual cost of infant care: $11,512
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,481
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,821
- Median family income: $84,171
South Dakota
- Average annual cost of infant care: $8,680
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,893
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,235
- Median family income: $92,382
Tennessee
- Average annual cost of infant care: $12,249
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,469
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,617
- Median family income: $82,836
Texas
- Average annual cost of infant care: $10,706
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,664
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,336
- Median family income: $92,382
Utah
- Average annual cost of infant care: $13,094
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,725
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,339
- Median family income: $102,647
Vermont
- Average annual cost of infant care: $18,836
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $18,366
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $17,903
- Median family income: $110,859
Virginia
- Average annual cost of infant care: $14,277
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,807
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,081
- Median family income: $108,806
Washington
- Average annual cost of infant care: $20,677
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,413
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,144
- Median family income: $118,044
West Virginia
- Average annual cost of infant care: $9,692
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,540
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,865
- Median family income: $71,853
Wisconsin
- Average annual cost of infant care: $16,956
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,974
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,129
- Median family income: $105,726
Wyoming
- Average annual cost of infant care: $9,327
- Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,006
- In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $5,188
- Median family income: $84,171
How to navigate the costs of raising kids
Child-care costs vary widely from state to state and family to family, and deciding what's best for you is always a personal decision. It might mean navigating some difficult trade-offs, such as deciding if one parent should cut back on work to care for children. That decision not only affects your household's income, but could have a lasting impact that parent's career.
"A lot of times we'll focus on the expense change, but oftentimes there's an income change that comes with it as well," says Natalie Taylor, a certified financial planner based in Santa Barbara, California. It's important that parents consider "finding the child care not only that you want for your child and that you can afford, but also that works for your employment."
Taylor's advice: Think about how having a child will impact your finances for the next five years, not the next 18. "I always tell clients to take it season by season, because child-care costs change," she says.
Taylor helps her clients understand the costs they can expect in each phase of the child's growth and how they can adjust their financial plans accordingly. For example, the average cost of care for a 4-year-old is less expensive than infant care in all 50 states and D.C.
"We talk a lot about, 'What is the most you can do in this season?'" she says. Sometimes, that means letting clients know it's OK if they need to slow down on their other goals for those first couple of years.
But Taylor also helps her clients understand that changes like adjusting their 401(k) contributions should be temporary. Hopefully, they can resume working toward their other goals when their child-care costs settle down.
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