The Most and Least Expensive Cities to Raise a Child
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Having a child today will set you back close to a quarter million dollars by the time your offspring reaches 18, an annual study released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found. A middle-income family can expect to shell out on average $245,340 (or $304,480, when adjusted for projected inflation), with the biggest chunk of the budget going to housing, followed by child care costs.
Of course, your bottom line could be very different depending on where you live. According to data from personal finance website NerdWallet, child-rearing costs can vary by more than $340,000, based on local housing market prices and the cost of daycare (which exceeds the cost of college in 31 states).
Families living in cities in more rural areas can expect to pay the least to raise a child to adulthood, but those living in the urban Northwest and on the West Coast should expect to pay far above the average.
Here are the cities where you'll pay the most and the least to rear your child.
Most Expensive Cities to Raise A Child
| Rank | City | Cost of raising a child |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York (Manhattan), NY | $540,514 |
| 2 | Honolulu, HI | $429,635 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $402,112 |
| 4 | New York (Brooklyn), NY | $400,951 |
| 5 | Hilo, HI | $369,559 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | $363,807 |
| 7 | Orange County, CA | $353,081 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $342,552 |
| 9 | Oakland, CA | $337,477 |
| 10 | Fairbanks, AK | $334,562 |
Least Expensive Cities to Raise a Child
| Rank | City | Cost of raising a child |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman, OK | $199,298 |
| 2 | Harlingen, TX | $199,694 |
| 3 | Ashland, OH | $206,793 |
| 4 | Salina, KS | $207,525 |
| 5 | Pueblo, CO | $208,155 |
| 6 | Memphis, TN | $208,322 |
| 7 | Temple, TX | $208,593 |
| 8 | Richmond, IN | $209,522 |
| 9 | Jackson, MS | $211,309 |
| 10 | Hattiesburg, MS | $211,451 |
Related: Why the $245,000 Cost of Raising a Child Shouldn't Stop You From Having One