How much does it cost to raise a child in the USA?

An ordinary American family with an average income will spend about 245 000 dollars on caring for a child from birth to 18 years. Such information has been published by official US government sources.

The Ministry of Agriculture annually calculates the cost of child care. To raise a baby born in 2013, it will take almost 250 000 dollars. This amount is 1,8% more than for children who were born in 2012 year.

When calculating the cost of education and care, housing, food, clothing and footwear, electronics, expenses for preparing for school, as well as electives and hobbies (playing sports, music, dancing, etc.) are taken into account. Expenses of the expectant mother during pregnancy and costs associated with the higher education and life of the child after 18 years were not included in the calculation.

If we consider the projected inflation in the coming 18 years, the amount grows to 305 000 dollars.

In percentage terms, housing for a child will cost parents the most. This expense item is approximately 30% of the declared amount. Child care (kindergarten, nanny services, etc.), as well as schooling (meaning, of course, a public school, where children study for free, not counting related expenses) makes up 18% of the total amount, and food - 16%.

As it turned out, it is most expensive to raise a child in the states in the northeastern United States (New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, etc.), and in large cities the cost of childcare was higher than in small ones. In the north of the US East Coast, raising a child will cost about 282 500 dollars. Whereas in the south of the country this figure is much lower.

For clarity, parents with average incomes were recognized as earning from 61 530 to 106 540 dollars a year for two.

More affluent Americans will spend around 408 000 dollars raising a child up to 18 years, according to federal government estimates.

The cost of child care has grown faster than inflation since the 1960 year, when the US government began to calculate this figure.

In 1960, a family with an average income spent on child care and upbringing from birth to 18 years 25 230 dollars. In terms of the current purchasing power of the American currency, this would be 198 560 dollars.