It Costs an Additional $303,418 to Raise a Child Over 18 Years, Up 1.9%

It Costs an Additional $303,418 to Raise a Child Over 18 Years, Up 1.9%

Written by Matt Schulz

Edited by Dan Shepard

Updated Apr 06, 2026

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The cost of raising a child over 18 years is up again, now topping $300,000 for the first time since we began tracking it in 2023.

However, there's some good news: Costs during the first five years have decreased, powered primarily by a small drop in day care costs.

Here's what else we found.

How we arrived at our findings

• Key findings
• The 18-year cost of raising a child grew to $303,418 after tax exemptions and credits, according to a LendingTree analysis, even though the cost of the first five years dipped slightly.That's an average of $16,857 annually over 18 years, up 1.9% from a year ago. However, annual costs in the first five years decreased slightly from $29,419 to $29,325 (or 0.3%), driven primarily by a dip in day care costs.
• Hawaii is the most expensive state to raise a small child, with annual costs for the first five years reaching $40,342. Maryland and Massachusetts follow at $36,419 and $34,247. Conversely, annual costs are lowest in Mississippi ($17,148), Alabama ($18,019) and South Dakota ($18,622). All three states have infant day care costs below $10,000 annually, helping them rank among the cheapest states to raise a small child.
• Fourteen states saw the annual cost of raising a small child rise at least 10.0%, including four with growth of 20.0% or more. Annual costs rose in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Nebraska (27.4%), Montana (24.5%), Maine (24.4%) and Wisconsin (23.3%) all saw significant year-over-year growth in the annual cost of raising a small kid.
• Families in six states are projected to spend more than $300,000 raising a child over 18 years, with Hawaii leading at $412,661, followed by Alaska ($365,047) and Maryland ($326,360).By contrast, projected costs are lowest in New Hampshire ($201,963), the District of Columbia ($202,115) and South Carolina ($204,213). Kansas and Alaska saw the largest increases in projected 18-year child-rearing costs, each rising 23.5% from last year's report.
• Families spend an average of 21.9% of their income on the basic annual expenses to raise a small child, down from 22.6% in our 2025 analysis. The percentage is lowest in the District of Columbia (13.9%) and highest in Hawaii (27.4%).

• 18-year cost of raising a kid tops $300,000

• Our 2026 report, which primarily includes data from 2024, finds that expenses associated with raising a child for 18 years add up to $303,418, up 1.9% from $297,674 in last year's report, which primarily used data from 2023.

That $303,418 averages out to $16,857 annually over 18 years. However, the annual costs for the first five years of a child's life decreased slightly, dipping from $29,419 to $29,325 (or 0.3%), driven primarily by a small drop in the cost of day care. Day care costs fell by $572 annually (or 3.2%) from 2025's report to 2026's, the only cost to fall by more than a fraction of a percentage point.

Here's a breakdown of the costs we included in our analysis.

Bare-bones cost of raising a child in the U.S. (2025 report vs. 2026 report)

Category	Cost, 2026 report	Cost, 2025 report	Difference ($)	Difference (%)
Rent	$1,680	$1,128	$552	48.9%
Food	$4,208	$4,216	-$8	-0.2%
Infant day care	$17,264	$17,836	-$572	-3.2%
Girls' apparel	$313	$247	$66	26.7%
Transportation	$4,422	$4,383	$39	0.9%
Insurance premiums	$3,638	$3,609	$29	0.8%
Value of federal tax credit	-$2,200	-$2,000	-$200	10.0%
Annual cost for first 5 years	$29,325	$29,419	-$94	-0.3%
Annual cost for next 13 years	$12,061	$11,583	$478	4.1%
Avg. annual cost over 18 years	$16,857	$16,537	$320	1.9%
Total cost over 18 years	$303,418	$297,674	$5,744	1.9%

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Care.com, KFF and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Day care costs are only included for a child's first five years. Our 2025 report mainly analyzed 2023 data, while our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

In most cases, the above numbers represent a dramatic slowdown in the cost of raising a child, which is absolutely welcome news for parents. However, many may not feel like celebrating. Even with that slowdown, the overall 18-year cost of raising a child has risen 27.8% between our 2023 and 2026 reports that mostly assessed 2021 and 2024 data, and the annual cost for the first five years has increased by 35.3%.

Here's how that breaks down.

Bare-bones cost of raising a child in the U.S. (2023 report vs. 2026 report)

Category	Cost, 2026 report	Cost, 2023 report	Difference ($)	Difference (%)
Rent	$1,680	$1,104	$576	52.2%
Food	$4,208	$3,254	$954	29.3%
Infant day care	$17,264	$11,752	$5,512	46.9%
Girls' apparel	$313	$273	$40	14.7%
Transportation	$4,422	$6,010	-$1,588	-26.4%
Insurance premiums	$3,638	$2,888	$750	26.0%
Value of federal tax credit	-$2,200	-$3,600	$1,400	-38.9%
Annual cost for first 5 years	$29,325	$21,681	$7,644	35.3%
Annual cost for next 13 years	$12,061	$9,929	$2,132	21.5%
Avg. annual cost over 18 years	$16,857	$13,193	$3,664	27.8%
Total cost over 18 years	$303,418	$237,482	$65,936	27.8%

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. BLS, Care.com, KFF and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Day care costs are only included for a child's first five years. Our 2023 report mainly analyzed 2021 data, while our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

Hawaii is the most expensive state to raise a small child

Now, let's dive deeper, starting with the first five years of a child's life. Those years can be as overwhelming financially as they can be physically and emotionally. However, the costs of those early years can vary widely depending on where you live.

Parents in Hawaii face the highest costs, averaging $40,342 per year for those first five years. Maryland and Massachusetts are closest, at $36,419 and $34,247, respectively. Among the 10 states with the highest costs of raising a small child, only Colorado - ranking seventh at $31,000 annually - isn't on the coast.

Conversely, annual costs for raising small children tend to be lowest in the South. Mississippi ($17,148) and Alabama ($18,019) have the lowest costs in the analyzed period. South Dakota ($18,622), the only non-Southern state among the seven lowest-cost states, ranks third.

Those three states all have infant day care costs below $10,000 annually, a key reason they rank among the most affordable states to raise a child. Arkansas, which ranked fifth-lowest at $19,204, was the only other state with infant day care costs below $10,000.

When looking just at the nation's four most populous states - California, Texas, Florida and New York - we found large differences in cost. California ($33,692) ranks as the fourth most expensive state in the nation to raise a small child, while New York ranks eighth at $30,209. Meanwhile, Florida ranks 27th at $24,968, and Texas ranks 45th, with annual costs of just $20,968.

States with the highest/lowest annual costs of raising a small child (2026 report)

Rank	State	Rent	Food	Infant day care	Girls' apparel	Transportation	Insurance premiums	Value of exemption or credit	Total annual cost
1	Hawaii	$5,496	$2,391	$24,115	$340	$3,201	$4,886	-$87	$40,342
2	Maryland	$3,732	$2,070	$25,321	$326	$2,580	$2,542	-$152	$36,419
3	Massachusetts	-$684	$2,185	$26,343	$339	$2,457	$3,657	-$50	$34,247
4	California	$1,032	$2,024	$22,628	$352	$2,863	$5,254	-$461	$33,692
5	New Jersey	$3,372	$2,068	$20,213	$341	$2,456	$3,581	-$83	$31,948
6	Washington	$924	$2,115	$21,348	$340	$2,737	$4,473	$0	$31,937
7	Colorado	$1,488	$2,045	$20,978	$317	$2,557	$3,615	$0	$31,000
8	New York	$2,688	$2,157	$20,439	$337	$2,271	$2,372	-$55	$30,209
9	District of Columbia	-$4,140	$2,432	$26,193	$347	$1,421	$3,893	$0	$30,146
10	Connecticut	$3,072	$2,057	$18,492	$325	$2,687	$3,041	$0	$29,674
11	Nebraska	$3,408	$1,875	$18,147	$283	$2,864	$3,085	-$171	$29,491
12	Minnesota	$1,044	$2,077	$20,421	$308	$2,700	$3,126	-$354	$29,322
13	Alaska	$6,348	$2,344	$12,107	$318	$3,318	$4,589	$0	$29,024
14	Oregon	$960	$2,096	$19,500	$328	$2,641	$3,118	-$250	$28,393
15	Arizona	$3,624	$1,834	$15,964	$316	$2,611	$3,668	-$100	$27,917
16	Illinois	$360	$1,986	$19,807	$310	$2,495	$3,090	-$141	$27,906
17	Kansas	$3,960	$1,904	$15,156	$282	$2,812	$3,809	-$129	$27,793
18	Maine	$3,132	$2,064	$15,730	$304	$2,877	$3,641	-$300	$27,448
19	Montana	$2,196	$1,952	$15,080	$282	$2,952	$4,758	$0	$27,220
20	Wisconsin	$1,140	$1,938	$17,963	$291	$2,758	$2,994	-$37	$27,047
21	Rhode Island	$960	$2,106	$18,486	$317	$2,501	$2,875	-$242	$27,003
22	Virginia	$2,112	$2,032	$16,796	$315	$2,590	$3,123	-$53	$26,915
23	Indiana	$2,124	$1,766	$16,478	$289	$2,879	$3,070	-$30	$26,576
24	Vermont	-$360	$2,175	$18,710	$302	$2,933	$2,835	-$337	$26,259
25	Utah	$3,504	$1,890	$14,160	$297	$2,994	$2,836	-$93	$25,588
26	Delaware	$-516	$1,956	$16,617	$311	$2,736	$4,114	-$110	$25,108
27	Florida	$1,800	$2,039	$13,011	$324	$2,521	$5,273	$0	$24,968
28	Pennsylvania	$2,208	$1,990	$14,910	$305	$2,520	$2,693	$0	$24,626
29	Missouri	$3,216	$1,918	$13,780	$287	$2,747	$2,525	$0	$24,473
30	Wyoming	$2,160	$1,940	$12,784	$284	$3,197	$3,424	$0	$23,789
31	North Dakota	$3,468	$1,885	$12,299	$277	$2,992	$2,357	$0	$23,278
32	Idaho	$3,564	$2,056	$10,608	$286	$3,011	$3,582	$0	$23,107
33	New Hampshire	-$924	$2,037	$16,040	$330	$2,918	$2,404	$0	$22,805
34	Nevada	$2,184	$1,912	$12,659	$304	$2,830	$2,862	$0	$22,751
35	North Carolina	$1,116	$1,925	$12,370	$295	$2,658	$4,348	$0	$22,712
36	Michigan	$1,668	$1,860	$13,454	$295	$2,716	$2,927	-$247	$22,673
37	Tennessee	$264	$1,970	$13,126	$290	$2,802	$4,093	$0	$22,545
38	Ohio	$1,776	$1,887	$13,780	$287	$2,644	$2,101	-$66	$22,409
39	Kentucky	$1,452	$1,759	$12,740	$283	$2,846	$3,017	$0	$22,097
40	New Mexico	$1,392	$1,825	$13,521	$283	$2,672	$2,404	-$188	$21,909
41	West Virginia	$1,416	$1,772	$10,439	$281	$2,873	$4,966	-$96	$21,651
42	Louisiana	$936	$1,859	$10,847	$276	$2,837	$4,548	$0	$21,303
43	Oklahoma	$2,292	$1,846	$10,809	$276	$2,905	$3,137	-$48	$21,218
44	Iowa	$768	$1,872	$12,694	$278	$2,903	$2,662	-$40	$21,137
45	Texas	$1,068	$1,718	$11,349	$304	$2,708	$3,821	$0	$20,968
46	Georgia	$1,164	$1,955	$11,066	$303	$2,782	$3,311	-$216	$20,365
47	Arkansas	$2,184	$1,771	$9,178	$271	$2,861	$2,968	-$29	$19,204
48	South Carolina	-$432	$1,862	$10,474	$292	$2,835	$4,176	-$297	$18,910
49	South Dakota	$1,584	$1,922	$8,632	$276	$3,025	$3,183	$0	$18,622
50	Alabama	$816	$1,923	$8,632	$282	$2,908	$3,958	-$500	$18,019
51	Mississippi	$1,416	$1,842	$7,696	$273	$2,999	$2,988	-$66	$17,148

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Living Wage Calculator, Care.com, Child Care Aware of America, U.S. BLS, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Negative values indicate lower costs for households with children. Our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

Cost of raising a small child spiked by 10.0% or more in 14 states

From the 2025 to 2026 report (mainly analyzing 2023 and 2024 data), 39 states and the District of Columbia saw the annual cost of raising a small child jump. Fourteen states saw year-over-year increases of at least 10.0%, including four where costs spiked by at least 20.0%.

Nebraska (27.4%) saw the largest increase, followed by Montana (24.5%), Maine (24.4%) and Wisconsin (23.3%). The states with the biggest increases were spread throughout the country but tended to be more sparsely populated states.

Eleven states saw the annual cost of raising a small child dip from 2025's report to 2026's, though most of the decreases were smaller than 2.0%. The one glaring exception: New Hampshire, which saw costs fall by a stunning 19.5% year over year. North Dakota (9.9%) and Vermont (5.2%) were the only other states to see decreases of more than 5.0%.

States with the biggest year-over-year changes in the cost of raising a small child (2025 report vs. 2026 report)

Rank	State	Cost, 2026 report	Cost, 2025 report	Difference (%)
1	Nebraska	$29,491	$23,154	27.4%
2	Montana	$27,220	$21,864	24.5%
3	Maine	$27,448	$22,061	24.4%
4	Wisconsin	$27,047	$21,930	23.3%
5	Utah	$25,588	$21,784	17.5%
6	Alaska	$29,024	$24,921	16.5%
7	Kentucky	$22,097	$19,149	15.4%
8	Maryland	$36,419	$31,601	15.2%
9	Arizona	$27,917	$24,354	14.6%
9	Illinois	$27,906	$24,343	14.6%
11	Kansas	$27,793	$24,528	13.3%
12	California	$33,692	$30,059	12.1%
13	Indiana	$26,576	$23,786	11.7%
14	Hawaii	$40,342	$36,472	10.6%
15	North Carolina	$22,712	$20,818	9.1%
16	Oregon	$28,393	$26,107	8.8%
17	West Virginia	$21,651	$19,957	8.5%
18	New Jersey	$31,948	$29,728	7.5%
19	Florida	$24,968	$23,241	7.4%
20	Colorado	$31,000	$28,922	7.2%
21	South Carolina	$18,910	$17,699	6.8%
22	Georgia	$20,365	$19,162	6.3%
23	Idaho	$23,107	$21,797	6.0%
24	Pennsylvania	$24,626	$23,270	5.8%
24	Ohio	$22,409	$21,186	5.8%
26	Missouri	$24,473	$23,201	5.5%
26	Delaware	$25,108	$23,804	5.5%
28	Mississippi	$17,148	$16,490	4.0%
29	Massachusetts	$34,247	$33,004	3.8%
30	Michigan	$22,673	$21,881	3.6%
31	District of Columbia	$30,146	$29,186	3.3%
31	Rhode Island	$27,003	$26,141	3.3%
33	Arkansas	$19,204	$18,642	3.0%
33	New York	$30,209	$29,327	3.0%
35	Connecticut	$29,674	$28,899	2.7%
36	Oklahoma	$21,218	$20,673	2.6%
37	Virginia	$26,915	$26,666	0.9%
38	Alabama	$18,019	$17,870	0.8%
39	Louisiana	$21,303	$21,206	0.5%
40	Texas	$20,968	$20,889	0.4%
41	Tennessee	$22,545	$22,693	-0.7%
42	Nevada	$22,751	$23,063	-1.4%
43	Washington	$31,937	$32,418	-1.5%
44	South Dakota	$18,622	$18,918	-1.6%
45	Minnesota	$29,322	$29,891	-1.9%
45	Wyoming	$23,789	$24,262	-1.9%
47	Iowa	$21,137	$21,811	-3.1%
48	New Mexico	$21,909	$22,792	-3.9%
49	Vermont	$26,259	$27,690	-5.2%
50	North Dakota	$23,278	$25,834	-9.9%
51	New Hampshire	$22,805	$28,338	-19.5%

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, MIT Living Wage Calculator, Care.com, Child Care Aware of America, U.S. BLS, BEA, KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Our 2025 report mainly analyzed 2023 data, while our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

Families in 6 states are projected to spend more than $300,000 raising a child over 18 years

Now, let's zoom out to look at costs over 18 years.

Hawaii is the most expensive state to raise a child to adulthood - by a wide margin. Raising a child for 18 years in Hawaii is projected to cost $412,661, nearly $50,000 more than the next most expensive state (Alaska at $365,047) and more than $85,000 more than the third-most expensive state, Maryland, at $326,360.

We saw massive differences in costs by state. For example, projected costs in New Hampshire ($201,963), the District of Columbia ($202,115) and South Carolina ($204,213) are less than half of what's projected to be required in Hawaii. Two other states - Mississippi ($208,621) and Alabama ($212,121) - also have 18-year costs that are at least $200,000 lower than Hawaii.

Looking at the nation's four most populous states, we again saw wide variations. California is the fourth-most expensive state in the nation at $312,300, while Florida ($280,280) and New York ($278,051) rank 14th and 15th, respectively. Texas is the least expensive of the four, coming in 39th at $229,891.

States with the highest/lowest costs of raising a child over 18 years (2026 report)

Rank	State	Estimated cost
1	Hawaii	$412,661
2	Alaska	$365,047
3	Maryland	$326,360
4	California	$312,300
5	New Jersey	$312,295
6	Kansas	$303,250
7	Washington	$297,341
8	Arizona	$294,982
9	Nebraska	$294,926
10	Montana	$293,926
11	Connecticut	$293,728
12	Maine	$289,573
13	Colorado	$285,293
14	Florida	$280,280
15	New York	$278,051
16	Idaho	$278,023
17	Utah	$276,509
18	Massachusetts	$273,981
19	Virginia	$266,117
20	Indiana	$264,147
21	Minnesota	$262,330
22	Wyoming	$262,014
23	Missouri	$261,380
24	North Dakota	$259,123
25	Oregon	$257,569
26	West Virginia	$254,005
27	Wisconsin	$253,332
28	Pennsylvania	$249,441
29	North Carolina	$247,998
30	Rhode Island	$245,738
31	Nevada	$244,944
32	Illinois	$244,826
33	Louisiana	$242,450
34	Oklahoma	$241,405
35	Delaware	$235,920
36	Tennessee	$235,164
37	Michigan	$233,218
38	Kentucky	$232,131
39	Texas	$229,891
40	Vermont	$229,428
41	Arkansas	$226,354
42	Ohio	$224,228
43	South Dakota	$222,976
44	Georgia	$222,713
45	New Mexico	$218,588
46	Iowa	$215,443
47	Alabama	$212,121
48	Mississippi	$208,621
49	South Carolina	$204,213
50	District of Columbia	$202,115
51	New Hampshire	$201,963

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, MIT Living Wage Calculator, Care.com, Child Care Aware of America, U.S. BLS, BEA, KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

18-year expenses jump the most in Kansas, Alaska

As if raising a child wasn't already expensive enough, our analysis found that three states saw the 18-year costs of raising a child jump by more than 20.0% in a single year. That's a significant strain on families, many of whom are already on tight budgets.

Kansas and Alaska both saw projected 18-year child-rearing costs rise 23.5% between our 2025 and 2026 analyses, while Montana wasn't far behind with a 21.7% jump. Fourteen states overall saw year-over-year increases of at least 10.0%.

Conversely, four states saw 18-year costs drop by at least 10.0%, including two that fell by at least 20.0%. New Hampshire (down 29.3%) and North Dakota (20.3%) led the way, while Vermont (13.3%) and Wyoming (10.5%) also saw double-digit declines.

Florida saw the biggest jump (10.3%) among the nation's most populous states, though California (8.8%) and New York (1.7%) also saw increases. Texas saw costs dip slightly, by 1.2%.

States with the biggest increases/decreases in costs of raising a child over 18 years (2025 vs. 2026 report)

Rank	State	Cost, 2026 report	Cost, 2025 report	Difference (%)
1	Kansas	$303,250	$245,581	23.5%
1	Alaska	$365,047	$295,698	23.5%
3	Montana	$293,926	$241,452	21.7%
4	Maine	$289,573	$241,618	19.8%
5	Nebraska	$294,926	$247,772	19.0%
6	Wisconsin	$253,332	$218,304	16.0%
7	Arizona	$294,982	$255,852	15.3%
8	North Carolina	$247,998	$215,461	15.1%
9	Hawaii	$412,661	$362,891	13.7%
10	Utah	$276,509	$246,096	12.4%
11	West Virginia	$254,005	$227,406	11.7%
12	New Jersey	$312,295	$279,862	11.6%
13	Georgia	$222,713	$201,058	10.8%
14	Florida	$280,280	$254,031	10.3%
15	Mississippi	$208,621	$190,402	9.6%
16	California	$312,300	$286,951	8.8%
17	Illinois	$244,826	$225,325	8.7%
18	Pennsylvania	$249,441	$230,581	8.2%
19	Oregon	$257,569	$240,086	7.3%
20	Colorado	$285,293	$266,147	7.2%
21	Idaho	$278,023	$260,942	6.5%
22	Kentucky	$232,131	$218,777	6.1%
23	Indiana	$264,147	$249,580	5.8%
24	Maryland	$326,360	$310,040	5.3%
25	Missouri	$261,380	$249,827	4.6%
26	District of Columbia	$202,115	$194,108	4.1%
27	Arkansas	$226,354	$220,259	2.8%
28	Alabama	$212,121	$207,637	2.2%
29	Connecticut	$293,728	$287,638	2.1%
30	Michigan	$233,218	$229,187	1.8%
31	New York	$278,051	$273,294	1.7%
32	South Carolina	$204,213	$200,958	1.6%
32	Ohio	$224,228	$220,785	1.6%
34	Delaware	$235,920	$233,537	1.0%
35	Oklahoma	$241,405	$241,269	0.1%
36	Virginia	$266,117	$266,827	-0.3%
37	Nevada	$244,944	$245,822	-0.4%
38	Texas	$229,891	$232,690	-1.2%
39	Rhode Island	$245,738	$250,851	-2.0%
40	Massachusetts	$273,981	$282,007	-2.8%
41	Louisiana	$242,450	$250,395	-3.2%
42	Minnesota	$262,330	$276,361	-5.1%
43	South Dakota	$222,976	$238,318	-6.4%
44	Washington	$297,341	$318,714	-6.7%
45	New Mexico	$218,588	$234,483	-6.8%
46	Tennessee	$235,164	$252,669	-6.9%
47	Iowa	$215,443	$234,414	-8.1%
48	Wyoming	$262,014	$292,741	-10.5%
49	Vermont	$229,428	$264,771	-13.3%
50	North Dakota	$259,123	$325,158	-20.3%
51	New Hampshire	$201,963	$285,834	-29.3%

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, MIT Living Wage Calculator, Care.com, Child Care Aware of America, U.S. BLS, BEA, KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Our 2025 report mainly analyzed 2023 data, while our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

Average of 21.9% of income spent on added care costs

The total costs of raising a child for the first five years are staggering. However, those dollar values don't tell the whole story. To fully reveal the impact of these costs on families, you have to take income into account.

Again, the numbers look worst in Hawaii. Parents in Hawaii are projected to spend 27.4% of their annual income on raising a small child, the highest percentage in the nation. Nebraska (23.5%) and Indiana (23.2%) follow. In all, there were 22 states where parents should expect to spend at least 20.0% of their yearly income on raising a small child.

Meanwhile, the percentage is lowest in the District of Columbia (13.9%), New Hampshire (14.9%) and South Dakota (15.4%).

States where families spend the smallest portion of their income on raising children (2026 report)

Rank	State	Avg. family income	Total annual cost to raise small child	% of income to raise child
1	District of Columbia	$216,504	$30,146	13.9%
2	New Hampshire	$152,983	$22,805	14.9%
3	South Dakota	$120,707	$18,622	15.4%
4	Georgia	$124,976	$20,365	16.3%
5	Texas	$127,060	$20,968	16.5%
6	South Carolina	$113,803	$18,910	16.6%
7	Alabama	$108,061	$18,019	16.7%
8	Connecticut	$168,657	$29,674	17.6%
8	Iowa	$120,317	$21,137	17.6%
10	Virginia	$151,714	$26,915	17.7%
11	North Dakota	$129,785	$23,278	17.9%
12	Mississippi	$94,579	$17,148	18.1%
13	Utah	$136,485	$25,588	18.7%
13	Nevada	$121,376	$22,751	18.7%
15	North Carolina	$120,769	$22,712	18.8%
15	Pennsylvania	$130,780	$24,626	18.8%
15	Arkansas	$102,160	$19,204	18.8%
18	Ohio	$118,759	$22,409	18.9%
18	Michigan	$119,824	$22,673	18.9%
20	New Jersey	$168,255	$31,948	19.0%
20	Delaware	$132,369	$25,108	19.0%
22	Rhode Island	$139,376	$27,003	19.4%
23	Idaho	$118,347	$23,107	19.5%
23	Massachusetts	$175,192	$34,247	19.5%
25	Tennessee	$114,915	$22,545	19.6%
26	Wyoming	$120,454	$23,789	19.7%
27	New York	$151,821	$30,209	19.9%
27	Oklahoma	$106,547	$21,218	19.9%
27	Vermont	$131,877	$26,259	19.9%
30	Illinois	$139,698	$27,906	20.0%
31	Louisiana	$105,213	$21,303	20.2%
32	Washington	$157,343	$31,937	20.3%
32	Florida	$123,165	$24,968	20.3%
32	Colorado	$153,060	$31,000	20.3%
35	Minnesota	$143,997	$29,322	20.4%
36	Missouri	$117,375	$24,473	20.9%
36	Kentucky	$105,537	$22,097	20.9%
38	Alaska	$138,272	$29,024	21.0%
39	New Mexico	$103,819	$21,909	21.1%
40	California	$157,446	$33,692	21.4%
41	Oregon	$132,283	$28,393	21.5%
42	Wisconsin	$123,947	$27,047	21.8%
43	West Virginia	$98,068	$21,651	22.1%
44	Arizona	$125,215	$27,917	22.3%
45	Maine	$122,361	$27,448	22.4%
46	Maryland	$162,068	$36,419	22.5%
47	Montana	$120,474	$27,220	22.6%
48	Kansas	$121,807	$27,793	22.8%
49	Indiana	$114,534	$26,576	23.2%
50	Nebraska	$125,584	$29,491	23.5%
51	Hawaii	$147,418	$40,342	27.4%

Sources: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, MIT Living Wage Calculator, Care.com, Child Care Aware of America, U.S. BLS, BEA, KFF, Tax Foundation and IRS data. Notes: Dollars aren't adjusted for inflation. This is based on a married, two-earner couple with one child that earns the U.S. median family income of $99,999. Our 2026 report mainly analyzes 2024 data.

Tips for navigating the staggering cost of raising a child

• Start saving as soon as possible. Like today. If you're thinking that you want to have a child in the next few years, it isn't too early to start a fund devoted to the cost of raising a child. Put a few dollars from each paycheck into a high-yield savings accountand let compounding interest work its magic. By the time your little one arrives, you'll be glad you did.
• Take advantage of government and/or workplace benefits. Once you know your child is on the way, reach out to your company's HR department to go over what benefits are offered for parents. If you don't take the time to do that, you could leave money on the table, and that's the last thing any parent should do. Also, use a dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) to pay for at least a portion of your child care costs with pretax dollars. Finally, make sure that when tax seasonarrives, you're claiming all the credits you qualify for.
• Remember that more expensive isn't always better.There are items that are worth spending a little extra on when you're a parent, but so many other things aren't worth it. For those items, consignment shops, dollar stores, clearance racks and bargain bins are your friend. And speaking of friends, lean on them and your relatives, when possible, for hand-me-downs and gently used goods that can be a real help to you. Of course, you need to be certain that what you're getting second-hand is still in good condition, but take advantage of it if so. Your kid won't know the difference, but your wallet will.
• Knock down your high-interest debt. Money that's going to pay down credit card debtis money that can't go to your "we're going to have a kid" fund, so reducing that debt should be a priority for you. That's easier said than done, of course, but a 0% balance transfer credit card can be a game-changer, and a low-interest personal loancan also be a massive help. You can even call your credit card issuer and ask for a lower rate- it works more often than you might think.

Methodology

LendingTree researchers used various data sources to calculate the average annual costs associated with raising a small child in a two-earner household in each state and the District of Columbia.

Our calculations incorporated expenses for rent, food, infant day care, apparel, transportation and health insurance premiums. Dependent tax benefits - whether exemptions or credits - were subtracted from expenses to create the average annual cost to raise a child by state. To determine the value of tax exemptions, researchers assumed parents' tax returns were filed jointly with a combined income of $99,999 (the national median income among families in 2024, the latest year for which data was available).

Researchers analyzed data from the following sources:

• U.S. Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey with five-year estimates and one-year estimates (tabulated and microdata)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Living Wage Calculator, retrieved in February 2026
• Price of Care: 2024 report from Child Care Aware of America
• Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) regional price parities
• KFF, 2024
• Tax Foundation, 2025
• IRS, 2025