Cost of Raising a Child Calculator
Estimate what it costs to raise a child to 18 (or any age) by category — housing, food, childcare, transport, health and clothing — with inflation and the USDA family-size adjustment.
How it works
Yearly cost = (sum of monthly costs) × 12 × family-size factor (1 child 1.27, 2 children 1.00, 3+ children 0.76) · total = Σ yearly cost × (1 + inflation)^t for t = 0 … years − 1 · today’s money = yearly cost × years
The default monthly amounts follow the USDA’s Expenditures on Children by Families (Lino et al., 2017), the most widely cited study: a middle-income two-child family spends roughly 13,000 a year per child, of which housing is 29%, food 18%, childcare and education 16%, transportation 15%, health care 9%, miscellaneous 7% and clothing 6%. The USDA found that only children cost about 27% more and children in families of three or more about 24% less, because of shared rooms, hand-me-downs and bulk buying. Replace the defaults with your own costs and local prices.
Worked example
Using the USDA-based defaults — 1,082 a month across the seven categories, two children, from birth to 18 — the yearly cost is 12,984.00, or 233,712.00 over 18 years in today’s money. With 3% yearly inflation the total cost to raise the child is 304,013.03. Housing (314 a month) is the biggest expense.
Sources: USDA — Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015 (Lino et al., 2017) · USDA — The cost of raising a child
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to raise a child to 18?
The USDA estimated 233,610 in 2015 dollars for a middle-income US family with a child born in 2015, from birth through age 17 and before college — more once future inflation is added. Your figure depends heavily on housing and childcare where you live.
What is the biggest cost of raising a child?
Housing (the extra bedroom and utilities) is usually the largest share, followed by food and childcare. In years with full-time daycare, childcare can be the biggest single expense.
Is a second child cheaper?
Per child, yes. The USDA found families with three or more children spend about 24% less on each child, and families with one child about 27% more, thanks to economies of scale.
Does this include college?
No. College is a separate goal — plan it with a college savings calculator. Set “support until age” to 22 if you also cover living costs during university.
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Educational estimate, not financial advice. Your income, prices, taxes and returns will differ — use it to plan, then check the numbers against your own bank statements and, for big decisions, a qualified adviser.