2026 update: this page uses the latest data available: LendingTree’s 2026 cost-of-raising-a-child study (updated April 6, 2026), which mostly uses 2024 data. It’s a private estimate. The last U.S. government estimate, from the USDA, covers a child born in 2015 and hasn’t been updated since.
Raising a child from birth to 18 costs an estimated $303,418 in the U.S., or about $16,857 a year, according to a 2026 LendingTree analysis of mostly 2024 government and industry data. That’s a private estimate for a married, two-earner couple earning the median family income, and it doesn’t include college.The estimate comes from LendingTree’s 2026 study, which adds up the extra costs a child brings: infant day care, the difference in rent, food and transportation spending between households with and without kids, girls’ clothing, and the added cost of a family health insurance plan, minus the federal child tax credit. LendingTree is a loan-comparison marketplace, and this isn’t a government or academic estimate. It assumes a married couple with one child earning $99,999, the 2024 U.S. median family income. Dollars aren’t adjusted for inflation.
Why use a private estimate? The U.S. Department of Agriculture used to publish the standard government figure, but its last report covers a child born in 2015: $233,610 in 2015 dollars from birth through age 17, for a middle-income married couple with two children (USDA, 2017). The USDA hasn’t updated it since, so it’s too old to describe 2026 costs. The two estimates use different methods and aren’t directly comparable.
Data breakdown: the cost of raising a child, by category
| Cost category (annual, national) | 2026 report | 2025 report |
|---|---|---|
| Infant day care (first 5 years only) | $17,264 | $17,836 |
| Transportation (added cost) | $4,422 | $4,383 |
| Food (added cost) | $4,208 | $4,216 |
| Health insurance premiums (added cost) | $3,638 | $3,609 |
| Rent (added cost) | $1,680 | $1,128 |
| Girls’ apparel | $313 | $247 |
| Federal child tax credit | −$2,200 | −$2,000 |
| Annual cost, first 5 years | $29,325 | $29,419 |
| Annual cost, next 13 years | $12,061 | $11,583 |
| Total, birth to 18 | $303,418 | $297,674 |
Source: LendingTree, 2026. The 2026 report mainly uses 2024 data; the 2025 report was a year earlier. Not adjusted for inflation.
The math: five years at $29,325 plus 13 years at $12,061 adds up to $303,418. Day care drives the early years. It’s the single biggest line item and the reason the first five years cost more than twice as much per year as the rest of childhood. For what day care actually costs where you live, see our child care costs by state.
Cost of raising a child by state
| Most expensive (18-year cost) | Estimate | Least expensive (18-year cost) | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $412,661 | New Hampshire | $201,963 |
| Alaska | $365,047 | District of Columbia | $202,115 |
| Maryland | $326,360 | South Carolina | $204,213 |
| California | $312,300 | Mississippi | $208,621 |
| New Jersey | $312,295 | Alabama | $212,121 |
Source: LendingTree, 2026. State estimates use state-level rent, food, transportation and day care data; the national figure uses some different national sources, so the national total isn’t an average of the states.
For the first five years alone, Hawaii is the most expensive at $40,342 a year, followed by Maryland ($36,419) and Massachusetts ($34,247). Mississippi ($17,148), Alabama ($18,019) and South Dakota ($18,622) are the least expensive. Families spend an average of 21.9% of their income on these early-years costs, from 13.9% in Washington, D.C., to 27.4% in Hawaii (LendingTree).
Is it getting more expensive to raise a kid?
Yes. LendingTree’s 18-year estimate rose 1.9% from its 2025 report and 27.8% from its 2023 report ($237,482), which mostly used 2021 data. Those are nominal dollars, so part of the increase is general inflation. The annual cost of the first five years actually dipped 0.3% in the latest report because day care costs in its national data fell 3.2%, though a $552 jump in the added cost of rent nearly cancelled that out. Rent was also the main driver of the higher annual cost for ages 5 to 17.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to raise a child in 2026?
About $303,418 from birth to age 18, or $16,857 a year on average, according to LendingTree’s 2026 estimate based mostly on 2024 data. It assumes a married, two-earner couple at the median family income and excludes college.
How much does a child cost per year?
LendingTree estimates $29,325 a year for each of the first five years, when day care is included, and $12,061 a year for ages 5 through 17. The average over 18 years is $16,857 a year.
What is the most expensive state to raise a child?
Hawaii, at an estimated $412,661 from birth to 18, followed by Alaska ($365,047) and Maryland ($326,360), according to LendingTree’s 2026 study.
Does the government still estimate the cost of raising a child?
Not currently. The USDA’s last estimate was $233,610 (in 2015 dollars) for a child born in 2015, for a middle-income married couple, and it has not been updated since.
Does the cost of raising a child include college?
No. LendingTree’s $303,418 estimate covers birth to 18 and excludes college, as did the USDA’s 2015 estimate.
Related: Child care costs by state · Working dads statistics · U.S. birth rate and fatherhood statistics
Sources
- LendingTree — It Costs an Additional $303,418 to Raise a Child Over 18 Years, Up 1.9% (Matt Schulz, updated April 6, 2026) — Private analysis of Census ACS, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, MIT Living Wage Calculator, Child Care Aware of America, Care.com, KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data
- U.S. Department of Agriculture — Families Projected to Spend an Average of $233,610 Raising a Child Born in 2015 (Jan. 9, 2017) and Expenditures on Children by Families — Last federal estimate
