How much does it cost to raise a child to 18? This cost of raising a child calculator estimates the full 0–18 cost of raising a child — by income tier, child age, U.S. region and family size — using the official USDA Expenditures on Children by Families category model.
Enter your situation. The calculator applies the USDA per-age spending table, scales it by region and family size, then projects each year forward with your inflation rate.
Older children cost more than babies. Annual spending per age bracket, married-couple family, national average, 2015 dollars.
| Age bracket | low | mid | high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | $9,690 | $12,680 | $19,770 |
| 3-5 | $9,700 | $12,730 | $19,790 |
| 6-8 | $9,330 | $12,350 | $19,380 |
| 9-11 | $9,960 | $13,180 | $20,700 |
| 12-14 | $9,570 | $13,030 | $21,050 |
| 15-17 | $9,980 | $13,900 | $23,380 |
| Total 0–17 | $174,690 | $233,610 | $372,210 |
| Age bracket | low | high |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | $9,090 | $16,500 |
| 3-5 | $9,310 | $16,740 |
| 6-8 | $8,800 | $16,370 |
| 9-11 | $9,550 | $17,800 |
| 12-14 | $10,110 | $18,740 |
| 15-17 | $10,540 | $20,190 |
| Total 0–17 | $172,200 | $319,020 |
USDA finds real economies of scale for married-couple families: an only child costs ×1.27 the two-child baseline, while each child in a 3-child family costs ×0.76. Compare the totals below.
USDA middle-income totals (birth through 17, married-couple, 2 children, 2015 dollars) by region. Housing and child care drive the gap.
Source: USDA Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015, Tables 1–6. Select a region in the 0–18 Estimator tab to apply its multiplier.
The USDA baseline is in 2015 dollars. Project it to any birth year at your assumed inflation rate.
This child cost calculator is built directly on the U.S. Department of Agriculture report Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015 (CNPP-30, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, released January 2017) — the federal government's official "cost of raising a child" study, based on 2011–15 Consumer Expenditure Survey data updated to 2015 dollars.
The USDA figures exclude pregnancy costs and college expenses. This page gives educational planning estimates, not financial advice.
According to the USDA, a middle-income married couple with two children spends $233,610 raising a child from birth through age 17 (2015 dollars) — about $12,978.33 per year or $1,081.53 per month. Lower-income families spend about $174,690; higher-income families about $372,210. Enter your own income, region and family size in the 0–18 Estimator tab above for a personalized figure.
These child raising expenses by category break down as: housing $66,240 (the largest share), food $41,400, child care and education $38,040, transportation $35,490, health care $21,720, miscellaneous $17,460, and clothing $13,260 — all for a middle-income family, birth through 17. The USDA figures exclude pregnancy costs and college expenses.
Older children cost more than babies — here is how much does a child cost per year at each stage. For a middle-income family, annual spending rises from $12,680 per year at ages 0–2 to $13,900 per year at ages 15–17 — teenagers eat more, need more transport and pricier clothing. See the full age-bracket table in the Cost by Age tab.
USDA estimates $174,690 from birth through 17 for married-couple families with 2015 before-tax income under $59,200 (about $9,690 per year at ages 0–2). Middle-income families ($59,200–$107,400) spend $233,610, and higher-income families (over $107,400) spend $372,210.
Less than the first. USDA finds economies of scale: with two children each child costs the baseline $233,610, so the marginal cost of the second child is $170,535.30 — cheaper than the $296,684.70 an only child costs, because bedrooms, toys and clothing are shared.
No — per child, one is the most expensive option. An only child costs $296,684.70 (the USDA ×1.27 only-child premium for married couples), versus $233,610 per child with two children ($467,220 total). With three children the per-child cost falls to $177,543.60.
The USDA publishes regional — not state-level — figures. Middle-income totals range from $193,020 in rural areas to $264,090 in the urban Northeast, driven mostly by housing and child care differences. Use the Region Adjuster tab to apply your region's multiplier.
Wondering how much to save for a baby each month? A straight-line plan on the USDA middle-income baseline is $1,081.53 per month in 2015 dollars. Projected with 3% annual inflation to a 2026 birth, that's about $1,497.09 per month from birth to age 18. The Inflation Projector tab computes this for your own rate and birth year.
The cost of raising three children is about $532,630.80 total in 2015 dollars for a middle-income married couple — $177,543.60 per child, thanks to the USDA ×0.76 per-child factor for families with three or more children. The marginal cost of the third child is only $65,410.80 — that is the USDA answer to the raising multiples cost question for a three-child family.
The single parent cost of raising a child: USDA estimates $172,200 from birth through 17 for single-parent families with income under $59,200, and $319,020 for those over $59,200 (2015 dollars). Select 'Single parent' in the estimator for the full category breakdown. Family-size adjustments differ from married couples: an only child costs ×1.26; each child in a family with three or more children costs ×0.78; and in a two-child family the older child's expenses are adjusted ×0.96 before the two are summed (USDA Table 8).
No. When weighing college savings vs child costs, note the USDA cost of raising a child covers birth through age 17 and explicitly excludes college expenses (and pregnancy costs). If college is in your plan, budget it on top — the savings math in the Inflation Projector tab is a starting point.
No. It provides educational planning estimates built on USDA 2015 data plus your own inflation assumption — not financial advice. Real costs vary with lifestyle, city, childcare choices and inflation. Confirm big decisions with a qualified financial professional.
Disclaimer: This child cost calculator provides educational planning estimates based on USDA 2015 data — not financial advice. Actual costs vary widely by lifestyle, city, childcare choices and inflation. Verify important decisions with a qualified financial professional.
Data: USDA Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015 (CNPP-30). Built by nrtechstudio.com — free online tools, 100% client-side.
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