What does it really cost to raise a child?

Based on US Department of Agriculture data, adjusted for today's prices. Pick your household income, add your number of children, and see the real total to age 18, plus where the money goes and what college adds.

Number of children

Include college (~$110k each)

Total cost to raise them to 18

Where these figures come from. The base numbers are the USDA's estimate of the cost of raising a child from birth to 18, split by household income and adjusted to today's prices. The underlying study covers a child born in 2015 and the USDA has not published a newer one, so the age is a fact about the source rather than a gap here: it is still the figure everyone cites. They cover housing, food, childcare and education, transport, healthcare, clothing and other costs, but exclude college (added separately). Two children usually cost a bit less each because of shared bedrooms, hand-me-downs and bulk buying. This calculator reflects that by charging the first child in full and every child after at about 85% of that, so three children come to roughly 2.7 times one child rather than three times. It is a national average; your city, choices and childcare needs move it a lot. Not financial advice.

Cost of raising a child by income (to 18)

From the USDA's 2015 report, inflation-adjusted to today. One child, birth to 18, before college.

Household income	Total to 18	Per year	Per month
Lower income (under ~$62k)	$241,000	$13,389	$1,116
Middle income (~$62k to $107k)	$322,000	$17,889	$1,491
Higher income (over ~$107k)	$505,000	$28,056	$2,338

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Common questions

Does the second child cost the same?

Usually a little less each. Children share bedrooms, clothes and toys get handed down, and food and childcare can be bought in bulk or bundled, so per-child costs typically fall as families grow. This tool trims later children slightly to reflect that.

What is the biggest cost?

Housing, by far, at around 29% of the total for a middle-income family, because a bigger home or extra bedroom is expensive. Food (about 18%) and childcare and education (about 16%) come next. Cutting childcare costs, where possible, moves the total the most.

Does this include college?

Not in the base figure, because college varies enormously. Tick the box to add a rough $110,000 per child for four years of in-state public college including living costs. Private or out-of-state college can be two to three times that.