Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts ($44K), Connecticut ($42K), and Vermont ($38K) are the most expensive states to raise a child, driven mostly by extra housing, childcare, and healthcare costs.
- Raising a child in Massachusetts costs over twice as much as in Mississippi ($19K).
The cost of raising a child continues to rise across the U.S., but the pace and burden vary widely by state. This visualization maps the average annual cost of supporting one child in 2025, from housing and food to childcare and healthcare. The data for this visualization comes from SmartAsset. Categories include housing, food, childcare, healthcare, transportation, and taxes.
Families in the most expensive states now face annual costs exceeding $40,000. Meanwhile, several states in the South and Midwest remain significantly more affordable, underscoring how geography plays a defining role in family budgeting.
Read more: Visual Capitalist