New Sticker Price on Raising a Child: $226,920

by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts)
Jun 10th 2011 3:00PM

Filed under: Research Reveals: Babies, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Big Kids, Research Reveals: Tweens, Research Reveals: Teens

Credit: Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images

Do you really want to have a baby? Take another look at the sticker price.

You could buy a top-of-the-line Mercedes Benz SLS for the same amount of money -- and have a few bucks left over gas. You could also buy a near-mint condition copy of Superman No. 1. Or how about a two-bedroom, 580-square foot condo in Boston?

But if you still want a baby, go ahead. It's your $226,920.

That's how much the United States Department of Agriculture says having a kid cost these days. Of course, the cost is spread out over 18 years. Sometimes much longer.

USDA officials release figures on how much it costs to raise a child every year as part of a federal program. We think it's just to seriously depress parents.

And wait. It gets more depressing. Bloomberg News reports the price has shot up 2.1 percent in just one year. That includes the price of child care, education, transportation and health services.

The typical two-parent family spent from $11,880 to $13,830 on each child in 2010, according to the USDA -- give or take. A family earning less than $57,600 a year was likely to spend $163,440 in 2010 dollars to rear a child, the USDA reports, while parents earning more than $99,730 may spend $377,040.

"Child-rearing expenses vary considerably by household income level," according to the report. "Annual expenses generally increased with a child's age, a circumstance true in both two-parent and single-parent families."

If the study itself is insufficient depressing, the report includes an online calculator so parents can calculate their own costs and bum themselves out for an entire weekend. Try not to think of that Mercedes.

You'll really start moping if you live in the urban Northeast. Parents raising children in the West and Midwest might be slightly less traumatized. The least expensive places to raise a child, by the way, are the urban South and rural areas.

Housing accounts for the biggest portion of expenses, averaging 31 percent over 17 years, the USDA reports. Child care and education average 17 percent, with food costs at 16 percent. The estimates don't include college expenses.

The USDA has been bumming parents with these numbers every year since 1960. Your parents probably thought they had it rough, too. Tell them to stop their whining.

If you're 50 years old, health care was only 4 percent of the cost of raising a child -- half of what it is now. Education and child care accounted for 2 percent.

ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)

Add Your Comments

6-10-2011 @ 5:00PM

Taylor said...

That seems to be on the low side. I can't believe it costs me to take care of my kids, especially health insurance

6-12-2011 @ 5:19PM

Tony said...

What a waist of money $226920.00 for nothing but problems for 20 years or longer.
That money could buy one a house, condom car and many better things. Something of real value..

6-13-2011 @ 2:31PM

baldinia said...

Just keep using your condom car & you won't have to worry about having kids. lol

6-13-2011 @ 2:37PM

anifled said...

Really? Someone should have told your parents that before they had you. Because obviously you're not a any "real value" seeing as you can't even differentiate between your mid section and throwing your money away! Maybe you're the"waist"

6-13-2011 @ 2:46PM

outside the box said...

For all you parents living off the government, tell us how you do it.

That is really cold. You were once a kid yourself.

6-13-2011 @ 3:11PM

amy said...

Wow, when I read the head line, I was thinking "is that all". Im not rich by any means, between my husband and I we make a little over $100,000.00 anually, but my daughter is worth so much more and I would never compare her to a car that will rust and break down. I think the problem is when people spit kids out no wth no problems. Maybe if more people had to try for 12 years to have a child like I did, they would appreciate them. This article is nuts, anyone who's ever loved anyone other than themselves should see that.

6-13-2011 @ 5:20PM

harryness said...

When I needed to have a kidney transplant my daughter came through for me. I don't think my car would have been able to do that.

6-16-2011 @ 2:51PM

Jules said...

What about the immense importance and joy of raising another human being? No mention of love or laughter in this article. If a person were to total up how much he or she spent on any one thing over the past 18 - 20 years they would be surprised. Even buying just ONE $3.25 Starbucks coffee per day for 20 years comes to $23,725!

6-13-2011 @ 5:56PM

LINDA said...

obviously you don't have children and if you do obviously you didn't know how to raise them your comment was ridiculous!!!!'kids are the greatest joy in the world.

6-13-2011 @ 7:34PM

Jozef said...

Save yourself a lifetime of regrets and disappointments , my Grandparents Lalo&Ray both told me that in the next incarnation on earth if they reunite they plan to have no kids and only one beloved Lhasa Apso.

If you can't raise up a philanthropist, a saint or a great warrior then
dont waste the light = the electric bill won't go up.

6-13-2011 @ 2:27PM

Keliegh said...

This is the kind of article that really shows ones values. A child (who is more than a problem and more precious than a car) or a car with a pretty hood ornament. It is true that some people do not wish for children, but in many cases they are the ones who should not have them, like Tony right above. Waist is a body part and therefore a noun.To waste is a verb and the one you appear to be looiing for. Great job at third grade spelling.

6-13-2011 @ 2:28PM

This is the kind of article that really shows one's values. A child
(who is more than a problem and more precious than a car) or a car with a pretty hood ornament. It is true that some people do not wish for children, but in many cases they are the ones who should not have them, like Tony right above. Waist is a body part and therefore a noun.To waste is a verb and the one you appear to be looking for. Great job at third grade spelling

Not everyone has that kind of money to spend on their children. That's why some of the parents live off of food stamps, medicaid, shop at thrift stores and visit food banks and church pantries and get section 8 vouchers. They say at least 35 percent of Americans live off of the government. I know one lady who couldn't afford any of her pregnancies so the government paid for it. I'm not sure but I heard in some places up to 50 percent of the deliveries are paid for by the government, so you can still have kids. You just have to realize that other tax payers are paying for it.

6-13-2011 @ 3:29PM

Too tired said...

We all where children at one time. Some come from familys who have alot of money and some dont. It was never a fair world. I have been unfortunate to have an abusive mother on welfare and a dead beat alcholic dad. So I decided not to have children because my emotional state is not strong enough to become a paernt. I think kids are wonderful if you can provide for them.

6-13-2011 @ 3:53PM

david said...

Many parents don't know how much a kid costs and forget to multiply by 18 years. If a normal person were given a choice of a kid or $200,000 money then he would pick the money

6-13-2011 @ 4:13PM

harli said...

Children are our futures! how can some of you say all they are is trouble? and if you know what your doing, for low income family's there's places that help with free baby items that are new and sites that sell baby items for half off what retail stores sell. children are worth more then we spend on them! if you had a child of your own you would know that, they are worth more then any thing in the world! im 19 and have 2 children, a 3 year old and a 7 month old and they are perfect and i would never give em up for the world. they are perfect and every dine spent on them is worth it, they are worth more then anything i could ever spend on them :] there not disappointing and there definitely not regrets! its amazing what kind of people we live among!

6-13-2011 @ 5:15PM

mikemaj82 said...

wow, i find this very hard to believe. i know parents today are very soft and not strict at all. in fact, that have no idea how to handle a screaming child. it's no surprise that probably 50% of what they're spending is on unnecessary toys, games, or other things to keep the kid happy.

6-13-2011 @ 5:55PM

i can not beleive a car and a condo is being compared vs having a child who wrote that comment????? THAT PERSON SHOULD BE SHOT. DO PEOPLE THINK BEFORE WRITING COMMENTS? RIDICULOUS ALOT OF PEOPLE CAN NOT AFFORD THE CARS THEY DRIVE OR WHERE THEY LIVE BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP THEM SO WHY SHOULD $$ STOP YOU FROM HAVING A CHILD? GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

6-14-2011 @ 7:10PM

Heather said...

I guess you people have never heard of sarcasm?

I would like to see thier numbers and exactly what they are spending thier money on.

Hot on HuffPost Parents:

New Sticker Price on Raising a Child: $226,920