Cost of raising a child: what it really costs from birth to 18

The short answer: the USDA's most recent estimate of the cost of raising a child is $233,610 from birth through age 17 for a middle-income, two-parent family, in 2015 dollars. Adjusted to 2025 prices, that's roughly $317,300, or about $1,470 a month.

• Lower income (under $59,200): $174,690, about $237,300 today
• Higher income (over $107,400): $372,210, about $505,600 today
• Not included: college, costs after 17, and pregnancy, birth or adoption costs
• Estimate your own family's cost in 5 minutes with the steps below
• Next step: Plan it with the Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99).

How much does it cost to raise a child? The USDA's most recent estimate of the cost of raising a child is $233,610 from birth through age 17 for a middle-income, two-parent family, in 2015 dollars. That's about $1,080 a month. Adjusted for inflation to 2025 prices with the BLS consumer price index, the same estimate comes to roughly $317,300, or about $1,470 a month (our own calculation, shown below). It doesn't include college.

That headline number is an average, and your family's real cost depends on income, where you live, how many kids you have and, most of all, child care. Below you'll find the full breakdown by income, by age and by category, what the estimate leaves out, how the Child Tax Credit offsets part of it and a simple plan to build these costs into your family budget.

Being the oldest of three in Detroit, I think about this question in terms of real households, not just averages. Big numbers like $300,000 can feel scary. Broken into months and categories, they turn into something you can plan for. The Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99) is a good home for that plan: 12 monthly tabs, planned vs. actual by category and a year dashboard, in Excel or Google Sheets.

Where the numbers come from

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has tracked what families spend on children since 1960. Its Expenditures on Children by Families page says the latest report was published in 2017 and covers children born in 2015. USDA notes it is evaluating its methods, so there's no newer official estimate yet.

The report's main figures describe the younger child in a married-couple family with two children, from birth through age 17. Amounts are in 2015 dollars. To bring them closer to today's prices, we multiplied them by the change in the BLS consumer price index (CPI-U) from the 2015 annual average (237.017) to the 2025 annual average (321.943), a factor of about 1.358. You can run the same math with the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator. These 2025-dollar figures are our estimate, not USDA's.

Cost of raising a child by family income

USDA splits families into three before-tax income groups. In 2015, middle income meant $59,200 to $107,400 a year. In 2025 dollars, that band is roughly $80,400 to $145,900.

Higher-income families spend more in every category, but housing stays a similar share. USDA found housing made up 26% to 33% of child-rearing costs across income groups.

USDA also published its own projection that assumed 2.2% yearly inflation. Under that assumption, a middle-income family would spend $284,570 on a child born in 2015. Actual inflation since then has run higher, which is why the CPI-adjusted figure above is larger.

Cost of raising a child by age

Costs rise a little as kids grow, with the teen years the most expensive. Here's the middle-income family by age group.

The shape matters for planning. Early years lean on child care and baby gear. The middle years are often the cheapest. The teen years bring bigger food bills, transportation and activities. If you're expecting, our baby budget guide breaks down the first-year costs in detail.

Cost of raising a child by category

Here's where the middle-income family's $233,610 goes over 18 years.

Child care and education is the line that swings the most. Some families pay nothing because a parent or relative provides care. Others pay far more than the average, especially for full-time infant care. Plug in your own local quotes instead of the average.

How family size and where you live change the cost

The USDA figures are for one child in a two-child family. Your numbers shift if your family looks different.

Kids share rooms, clothes and cars, and groceries get cheaper per person in bulk. That's why each added child costs less than the first.

Location matters too. USDA found costs were highest in the urban Northeast, followed by the urban West and urban South, and lowest in the urban Midwest and rural areas. Housing and child care prices drive most of that gap.

What the estimate doesn't include

The USDA number covers direct spending from birth through 17. It leaves out:

• College. Tuition, room and board aren't counted. Saving for college is a separate goal.
• Costs after 17. Many young adults still need help with a phone plan, car insurance or rent.
• Time and lost income. If a parent cuts back hours or leaves work, that lost pay isn't counted.
• Pregnancy, birth and adoption costs. USDA's report leaves out prenatal care, fertility care, childbirth and adoption expenses.
• Life insurance on parents. Also outside the estimate, even though many parents buy it when a child arrives. Our term life insurance guide explains the basics.

So treat the estimate as a floor for planning, not a full price tag.

How the Child Tax Credit offsets part of the cost

Tax credits take a bite out of these numbers. For the 2025 tax year, the IRS Child Tax Credit page lists:

• Up to $2,200 per qualifying child under age 17
• Up to $1,700 of it refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit, for families with at least $2,500 of earned income
• The full credit for income up to $200,000, or $400,000 if married filing jointly
• A $500 Credit for Other Dependents for dependents who don't qualify for the Child Tax Credit

The same page points to the Child and Dependent Care Credit, which can help with child care costs while you work or look for work. Rules change, so check the IRS page each year before you count on a number.

Estimate your own family's cost in 5 minutes

National averages are a starting point. Your own number is more useful. Fill in this quick worksheet with monthly amounts, using the 2025-dollar averages above only where you don't have a real quote.

Multiply the total by 12 for a yearly figure. Then subtract your expected Child Tax Credit, divided by 12, to see your net monthly cost. Revisit the worksheet when your child moves into a new age group, since the mix of costs changes even when the total stays close.

How to budget for the cost of raising a child: 7 steps

You don't need $300,000 in the bank. You need a monthly plan that grows with your child.

1. Start with your real numbers. List your take-home pay and current spending by category. Our budget categories list helps you sort everything.
2. Add a kid line to each category. Food, clothing, health care, child care, activities and transportation each get their own planned amount.
3. Price child care first. Get two or three local quotes. It's often the biggest single line in the early years.
4. Build sinking funds for lumpy costs. Car seats, school clothes, sports fees, birthdays and holidays come once or twice a year. Set aside a little each month instead.
5. Grow your emergency fund. More people depending on you means a bigger cushion. Our guide on how to build an emergency fund walks through the target.
6. Plan for big future goals separately. College, a bigger car or a move each deserve their own savings goal and date.
7. Review every year. Kids move from one age group to the next every few years. Update your budget on their birthday or in January.

The Sinking Funds Tracker ($4.99) handles step 4. It shows how much to set aside each month for every kid-related goal. Pair it with the Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99) to see the full year at once. If you're expecting, the Newborn Baby Tracker ($3.99) is a printable with a 24-hour daily log plus feeding, diaper, sleep, growth and pediatrician-visit pages.

Want the full set? The Ultimate Budget Bundle ($19.99, regularly $46.42 when bought separately) includes six budget spreadsheets plus the Budget Planner and Bill Tracker printables. See every option in Spreadsheets.

Holidays are a classic lumpy kid cost. Our how much to spend on Christmas per child guide helps you set a number, and the free Holiday Budget Starter Kit (3 printable US Letter pages, emailed when you join our list) gives you a place to track it.

Ways to lower the cost without shortchanging your kids

• Shop secondhand for clothes, gear and toys kids outgrow fast.
• Use the credits you qualify for, including the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Credit.
• Check employer benefits like dependent care accounts and family health plan options during open enrollment.
• Plan meals so the food line, the second-biggest category, stays steady.
• Talk about money as a family. Our guide to teaching kids about money has ideas for every age, and kids who understand a budget ask for less on impulse.

Saving for college? Our guide to the 529 plan explains how it works, its tax benefits and how to get started.