How Much It Costs to Raise a Child in Every State

Ranking: 49 (49th most expensive in the US and Washington, DC)

Annual cost of raising a child: $17,870

Annual day care costs: $8,771

Food costs: $1,897

In Alabama, parents spend an average of 17.1% of their income to raise a child, which is the seventh lowest percentage among all states.

The state also ranked third in the lowest day care expenses.

Ranking: 18

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,921

Annual day care costs: $11,760

Food costs: $2,342

Alaska parents face some of the highest added costs in the country when factoring a child into their expenses. The state ranks third for extra rent and food costs each year at $4,620 and $2,342, respectively, and second for transportation costs at $3,462.

However, health insurance premiums are lower than in other states; Alaska ranks the sixth-lowest in that category, with parents spending an additional $2,486 on average each year.

Ranking: 20

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,354

Annual day care costs: $14,040

Food costs: $1,807

Parents in Arizona might see smaller additional rent and food costs when factoring in a child, with the state ranking seventh lowest in both. Still, added costs for health insurance premiums are among the highest in the nation, ranking third, with parents spending an annual average of $4,929.

Ranking: 48

Annual cost of raising a child: $18,642

Annual day care costs: $8,869

Food costs: $1,735

Arkansas ranked lowest for the added cost of children’s apparel to parents’ expenses. The state also ranked among the lowest five for food and childcare costs.

Ranking: 5

Annual cost of raising a child: $30,059

Annual day care costs: $19,547

Food costs: $2,023

While parenting in California comes with a high price tag in some areas, parents also experience some areas of relief compared to other states. Per the LendingTree report, there are relatively low additional rent costs when raising a child compared to other states, and higher tax credits.

But parents in California face the highest apparel costs in the country, as well as the second-highest health insurance premiums.

The state also has the 10-highest average day care costs, according to the report.

Ranking: 10

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,922

Annual day care costs: $19,573

Food costs: $2,035

Colorado is ranked among the top 10 most expensive states to raise a child. Parents may face higher day care costs than in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest in the country.

However, added transportation costs are more affordable in the state, with Colorado ranking sixth-lowest.

Ranking: 11

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,899

Annual day care costs: $17,888

Food costs: $2,111

Connecticut parents face higher costs in several areas, with the state ranking 10th highest for additional rent when factoring in a child, and eighth highest for food.

However, parents also spend a lower portion of their income on raising a child each year: 17.6% on average, the eighth-lowest in the country.

Ranking: 23

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,804

Annual day care costs: $14,995

Food costs: $1,951

Delaware falls near the middle of the pack for the overall costs of raising a child in the US. Additional rent costs are among the lowest compared to other states, but additional expenses for food, transportation, and day care fall in the middle of all states.

Ranking: 9

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,186

Annual day care costs: $25,480

Food costs: $2,378

Parents in the District of Columbia saw the biggest decrease in child-rearing costs since the 2023 study.

DC has the lowest added rent cost, at a negative difference of $4,284, where parents on average pay less than their childless peers. DC parents also face the lowest added transportation costs in the country at $1,919, and spend the lowest portion of income on raising a child at 14%.

However, DC also has the highest day care and added health insurance premiums costs in the country, and faces the second-highest added food costs, per LendingTree.

Ranking: 26

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,241

Annual day care costs: $12,639

Food costs: $2,054

While Florida parents might save on transportation, as the state ranks third-lowest with parents spending an added $2,754, they also face higher health insurance premiums, ranking seventh highest in that category.

Ranking: 45

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,162

Annual day care costs: $11,066

Food costs: $1,921

The study found that Georgia parents spend the second-lowest portion of their income on raising a child. Some factors that contribute to this are the comparatively low added costs for rent and health insurance premiums — the state ranked within the 10 lowest in both categories.

Ranking: 1

Annual cost of raising a child: $36,472

Annual day care costs: $22,585

Food costs: $2,481

Hawaii is the most expensive state for raising a child in 2025, leading the list by over $3,000 in total annual costs.

Parents in the state face the highest added food costs in the country, the second-highest added rent costs, and the third-highest transportation and day care costs.

On average, parents in the state spend 25.4% of their income on the costs of raising a child, the highest share out of all states.

Ranking: 37

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,797

Annual day care costs: $10,108

Food costs: $2,040

Parents in Idaho might face some higher costs despite having the ninth-lowest childcare costs in the country. The state ranked seventh highest for both added rent and transportation costs each year, coming in at $2,364 and $3,260, respectively.

Ranking: 21

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,343

Annual day care costs: $16,373

Food costs: $1,965

Illinois’ added rent costs for parents are relatively low; parents spend $276 more on average each year compared to their childless peers, which is the fifth lowest amount among all states.

Added transportation costs are also among the lowest in the country, ranking fourth lowest as parents spend an added $2,826 annually. Parents also spend a smaller portion of their income on raising a child than in other states, ranking ninth lowest at 17.9%.

Ranking: 24

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,786

Annual day care costs: $13,736

Food costs: $1,731

Although parents in Indiana spend less on food — the state ranks fourth lowest at an average added cost of $1,731 each year — they also spend a larger share of their income on raising a child, coming in at 21.4%, the fifth-highest rate in the country.

Ranking: 36

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,811

Annual day care costs: $12,168

Food costs: $1,873

Iowa parents have some of the lowest health insurance premium added costs, with the state ranking ninth lowest in the country at an average of $2,568 annually.

Ranking: 19

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,528

Annual day care costs: $15,071

Food costs: $1,900

Kansas parents spend a higher portion of their income on raising a child than peers in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest nationwide. Parents spend an average of 20.8% on the added costs of raising a child.

Ranking: 46

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,149

Annual day care costs: $9,685

Food costs: $1,704

Kentucky has the lowest added cost for a child’s food when compared to every other state. Parents in Kentucky also have the sixth-lowest day care expenses in the country, per LendingTree’s report.

Ranking: 39

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,206

Annual day care costs: $10,101

Food costs: $1,855

While Louisiana parents have some of the lowest day care costs in the country, coming in at eighth-lowest, they also spend some of the highest percentages of their income on costs associated with raising children. They spend 20.6% of their paychecks on added costs.

Ranking: 32

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,061

Annual day care costs: $11,960

Food costs: $2,043

Families in Maine might see one of the bigger boosts from tax credits. The credits help parents in the state save an average of $300 each year, ranking fifth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 4

Annual cost of raising a child: $31,601

Annual day care costs: $19,906

Food costs: $2,078

Ranked the fourth most expensive state to raise a child in, Maryland parents face higher costs across several categories, with the state ranking sixth highest for both day care costs and the added costs in rent, and 10th-highest for added food and health insurance premiums costs.

Ranking: 2

Annual cost of raising a child: $33,004

Annual day care costs: $24,005

Food costs: $2,193

Ranked the most expensive state for raising a child in the continental US, Massachusetts parents face some of the highest food and childcare costs, with the state ranking fourth-highest for added food costs and second-highest for day care costs.

Even with the high price tag, parents in the state don’t see a big difference in their added rent prices compared to childless peers, only paying $84 more on average, according to the report.

Ranking: 34

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,881

Annual day care costs: $12,667

Food costs: $1,833

When compared to other states, Michigan has the eighth-lowest added food costs associated with raising a child.

Ranking: 6

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,891

Annual day care costs: $20,129

Food costs: $2,075

Minnesota parents face some of the highest day care costs, ranking fifth highest in the country.

They also spend a large portion of their income on raising children, spending an average of 21.3% of their income on the added costs of childrearing, the sixth highest share in the country.

However, they also benefit from tax credits, which on average save them $343 annually, the third-highest in the country.

Ranking: 51

Annual average cost of raising a child: $16,490

Annual average day care costs: $8,186

Average food costs: $1,783

Mississippi is the cheapest state to raise a child in 2025, having the second-lowest average day care costs and falling in the top 10 for cheapest health insurance premiums, rent, transportation, and food costs.

On average, Mississippi parents spend 17.9% of their income on raising a child each year.

Ranking: 27

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,201

Annual day care costs: $12,907

Food costs: $1,883

Parents in Missouri have lower added health insurance premiums than parents in other states. The state ranks 10th-lowest, with parents spending an annual average of $2,649.

Ranking: 35

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,864

Annual day care costs: $11,700

Food costs: $1,918

Lacking sufficient childcare options for the number of children, the state of Montana is considered a “childcare desert,” according to a January 2024 report by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. On average, Montana parents spend $11,700 on childcare each year, according to the LendingTree study.

Ranking: 28

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,154

Annual day care costs: $13,000

Food costs: $1,883

Out of all metrics, rent can be the biggest expense for parents in Nebraska when compared to other states. Parents spend an extra $2,340, on average, annually on their rent when raising a child.

Ranking: 29

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,063

Annual day care costs: $13,024

Food costs: $1,894

Nevada, one of the most urban states in the country, is also considered a childcare desert, according to a 2023 report by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation, due to the lack of options and the high demand for available centers. Parents in the state pay an average of $13,024 on daycare annually, according to the LendingTree study.

Ranking: 12

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,338

Annual day care costs: $17,250

Food costs: $2,031

New Hampshire parents face higher housing and transportation costs than in other states, ranking fifth highest for both rent and transportation.

Still, the added costs of health insurance premiums are more affordable than in other states, ranking third lowest.

Ranking: 7

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,728

Annual day care costs: $19,634

Food costs: $2,068

Parents in New Jersey may also encounter higher childcare costs, with the state ranking seventh highest among all states, but transportation costs are also more affordable, ranking 10th lowest.

Ranking: 30

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,792

Annual day care costs: $13,521

Food costs: $1,834

While New Mexico offers some of the lowest average added costs for transportation and food, parents in the state still spend a large portion of their income on raising children, with 22.8% of their paychecks going toward the added costs of raising a child, the second highest in the country.

Ranking: 8

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,327

Annual day care costs: $19,584

Food costs: $2,141

While parents in New York face some of the highest child-rearing costs, ranking sixth and eighth highest for food and childcare, respectively, they also have the second-lowest transportation added costs, falling only behind Washington, DC.

Ranking: 42

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,818

Annual day care costs: $12,251

Food costs: $1,908

Parents in North Carolina have the most stable prices for their child-rearing expenses, the study found. Between the 2023 and 2025 studies, the cost of raising a child over the course of 18 years in the state changed the least, going from $217,182 in 2023 to $215,461 in 2025.

Ranking: 17

Annual cost of raising a child: $25,834

Annual day care costs: $10,758

Food costs: $1,875

North Dakota had the second-biggest jump in total added costs from the 2023 study, up 44%. The state also has the highest added rent costs, at $5,496, and ranks ninth for transportation, as parents spend an additional $3,237.

Ranking: 40

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,186

Annual day care costs: $12,351

Food costs: $1,867

Ohio’s low total costs for raising a child each year are, in part, due to the low added costs of health insurance premiums, which rank eighth lowest in the country.

Ranking: 43

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,673

Annual day care costs: $10,065

Food costs: $1,836

Oklahoma parents enjoy the 10th and seventh lowest food and day care costs, respectively, but they also spend the 10th highest added costs on transportation, with children adding an average of $3,228 to their annual transportation expenses.

Ranking: 16

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,107

Annual day care costs: $17,680

Food costs: $2,048

Oregon saw one of the biggest total cost decreases since the 2023 study. Transportation added costs are also more affordable in Oregon than in other states, with the state ranking eighth lowest at $2,915. The state also has the lowest health insurance premiums out of all states in the country, with parents spending an additional $1,978.

Ranking: 25

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,270

Annual day care costs: $14,483

Food costs: $1,991

Parents in Pennsylvania might spend less on additional transportation costs than in other states — the state ranks ninth-lowest in the country, as parents spend an average of $2,918.

Ranking: 15

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,141

Annual day care costs: $16,899

Food costs: $2,127

Added food costs for parents in Rhode Island are higher than in other states — seventh highest in the country — while the added costs of transportation are more affordable than in other states, ranking fifth lowest.

Ranking: 50

Annual cost of raising a child: $17,699

Annual day care costs: $9,048

Food costs: $1,842

South Carolina parents spent the third-lowest portion of their income on child-rearing expenses, at 16.1%. They also benefit from some of the lowest childcare costs in the nation; the average cost is the fifth lowest among all the states.

Ranking: 47

Annual cost of raising a child: $18,918

Annual day care costs: $7,862

Food costs: $1,941

Average childcare costs in South Dakota are lower than in every other state, according to the study. This contributes to parents spending 16.3% of their income to raise a child, which is the fourth-lowest in the country.

Still, the added transportation costs of having a child in the state ranked as the sixth highest in the nation.

Ranking: 31

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,693

Annual day care costs: $11,985

Food costs: $1,920

While parents in Tennessee have relatively low costs for most factors contributing to the total cost of raising a child, they face higher health insurance premium added costs, spending an average of $4,478 each year, the fifth highest in the country.

Ranking: 41

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,889

Annual day care costs: $11,024

Food costs: $1,711

Texas parents spend some of the lowest added food costs in the nation — the second lowest among all states. They also spend the sixth-lowest portion of their income on raising a child, with 17% of their paychecks going towards child-rearing costs. However, the added costs for health insurance premiums are the eighth highest in the country.

Ranking: 38

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,784

Annual day care costs: $11,232

Food costs: $1,849

Parents in Utah spend an average of 17% of their income on the added costs of a child, one of the lower percentages in the country. Yet transportation is one area where parents in the state might see a significant increase, with the state having the fourth-highest added costs of transportation expenses, coming in at $3,289 a year.

Ranking: 13

Annual cost of raising a child: $27,690

Annual day care costs: $17,973

Food costs: $2,183

Parents in Vermont, which in 2022 was ranked the most rural state in the country according to census data, spend more on food, and also spend a greater share of their income on raising a child.

The state ranked fifth-highest for added food costs, and parents spend the third-highest percentage of their income on raising their children at an average of 21.8%.

However, Vermont parents also benefit from tax credits, which help them save an average of $320 annually, fourth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 14

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,666

Annual day care costs: $16,397

Food costs: $2,013

Parents in Virginia face higher added costs for health insurance premiums than parents in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest at an average of $4,088.

Ranking: 3

Annual cost of raising a child: $32,418

Annual day care costs: $20,370

Food costs: $2,109

Parents in Washington also face higher costs in multiple areas, with the state ranking ninth-highest for added food costs and fourth-highest for childcare costs.

On average, parents in the state spend 21.5% of their income on raising a child, the fourth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 44

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,957

Annual day care costs: $10,140

Food costs: $1,717

While parents in West Virginia enjoy some of the lowest added food, health insurance premium, and day care costs in the nation, they also have the eighth-highest added cost of rent and spend the eighth-highest portion of their income on raising a child, at 21%.

Ranking: 33

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,930

Annual day care costs: $13,572

Food costs: $1,904

Wisconsin parents benefit from having some of the lowest added health insurance premium costs when raising a child, ranking second-lowest in the category and spending an average of $2,231.

Ranking: 22

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,262

Annual day care costs: $11,075

Food costs: $1,917

Wyoming saw the biggest jump in childrearing costs since LendingTree’s 2023 report, with an increase of 47.9%.

Parents in the state face the highest added transportation costs in the country, with an extra $3,502 on average. They also have the fourth-highest added rent costs at $3,660, and spend the seventh-highest share of their income on raising a child: 21%.