Cost of raising a child: $300K
A new analysis flagged that the cost to raise a child in the U.S. now tops $300,000 over 18 years, with child care named as a major driver of that total (ffyf.org). The piece also cited estimates placing annual child-care costs above $13,000 per child in many areas (ffyf.org).
Raising one child in the U.S. now costs $303,418 over 18 years, the first time the estimate has topped $300,000. (lendingtree.com) LendingTree updated the figure on April 6, 2026, putting the average annual cost at $16,857 for a child from birth through age 17. The estimate is for a couple earning about $100,000, includes tax breaks as offsets, and excludes college. (lendingtree.com; cbsnews.com) Child care is one of the biggest line items in the early years. Infant center-based care averages $17,264 a year in LendingTree’s national estimate, and Care.com’s 2026 survey put average daycare at $332 a week. (ffyf.org; care.com) The first five years are the most expensive stretch. LendingTree estimated those years at $29,325 a year on average in 2026, even after a slight 0.3% dip tied mainly to lower day care costs. (cbsnews.com; lendingtree.com) This estimate is not the old federal benchmark. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s last “Expenditures on Children by Families” report was published in 2017 and projected $233,610 to raise a child born in 2015, and the department says it is still reviewing its methods for future updates. (fns.usda.gov) The newer private estimates use fresher data from 2024 and newer child care and tax data, which is one reason the totals look higher than the last USDA number. LendingTree said it pulled from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Child Care Aware of America, Care.com and other sources. (lendingtree.com) The pressure lands on families whose incomes have not moved much. The U.S. Census Bureau said real median household income was $83,730 in 2024, while CBS noted the child-rearing estimate now comes close to Zillow’s $356,000 median U.S. home sale price as of January 31, 2026. (census.gov; cbsnews.com) Child Care Aware of America’s 2024 affordability analysis found center-based infant care cost more than in-state public college tuition in 41 states and Washington, D.C. It also found the price of center-based care for two children exceeded median annual rent in 49 states and Washington. (childcareaware.org) Advocates are using the new $300,000 figure to press for more federal child care funding. First Five Years Fund said Congress could act through the appropriations process, while LendingTree’s estimate shows the bill for raising a child is still climbing faster than most families can comfortably absorb. (ffyf.org; lendingtree.com)
