Raising kids is expensive, and getting even pricier.  It costs nearly $300,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18 in the U.S., according to a recent LendingTree study, which included cost estimates for necessities like housing, child care, food and clothing. The total estimated cost of $297,674 is more than a 25% jump from LendingTree’s 2023 estimate of $237,482. Child care is, unsurprisingly, a major contributor to that total. Though parents may only have to pay for day care or other supervision for the first few years of a child’s life, that cost alone can take a major toll on the family’s finances.  Child care is considered affordable if it costs no more than 7% of a family’s income, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. But there is no state where the average cost of infant care is within that threshold for families earning the local median income, according to recent data collected by Economic Policy Institute.  In South Dakota, average child-care costs are the smallest share of median income of any state. There, a family earning the median income of $92,383 would spend 9.4% of earnings on child care for an infant. On the opposite end of the spectrum, families may shell out 21% of annual income on infant care in New Mexico, where child care takes up the largest share of income, EPI finds.  What’s more, infant and toddler care may be more expensive than college. EPI also compared child-care costs with public college tuition, and in 38 states and Washington, D.C., the average annual cost for infant care is higher than the in-state tuition for a public four-year college.  Here’s the average cost of child care and in-state tuition in all 50 states and D.C. Alabama Average annual cost of infant care: $7,871 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,268 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,272 Median family income: $80,065 Alaska Average annual cost of infant care: $20,943 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $16,768 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,434 Median family income: $107,779 Arizona Average annual cost of infant care: $15,625 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $12,152 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,971 Median family income: $94,435 Arkansas Average annual cost of infant care: $8,873 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,670 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,032 Median family income: $76,985 California Average annual cost of infant care: $21,945 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,020 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,786 Median family income: $119,071 Colorado Average annual cost of infant care: $21,840 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $15,992 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,967 Median family income: $122,150 Connecticut Average annual cost of infant care: $20,254 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $16,493 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $16,035 Median family income: $124,716 Delaware Average annual cost of infant care: $16,220 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $12,168 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,127 Median family income: $103,160 District of Columbia Average annual cost of infant care: $28,356 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $22,714 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $6,258 Median family income: $240,194 Florida Average annual cost of infant care: $13,021 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,548 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $4,618 Median family income: $92,382 Georgia Average annual cost of infant care: $11,863 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,359 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,197 Median family income: $91,356 Hawaii Average annual cost of infant care: $21,167 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $15,224 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,665 Median family income: $105,726 Idaho Average annual cost of infant care: $9,630 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,117 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,772 Median family income: $85,197 Illinois Average annual cost of infant care: $16,107 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,947 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,178 Median family income: $112,912 Indiana Average annual cost of infant care: $14,471 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,925 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,056 Median family income: $90,329 Iowa Average annual cost of infant care: $9,605 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,276 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,295 Median family income: $94,435 Kansas Average annual cost of infant care: $9,105 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,963 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,434 Median family income: $90,329 Kentucky Average annual cost of infant care: $8,756 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,778 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,494 Median family income: $76,985 Louisiana Average annual cost of infant care: $8,873 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,153 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,013 Median family income: $84,171 Maine Average annual cost of infant care: $13,310 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,227 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,999 Median family income: $97,515 Maryland Average annual cost of infant care: $18,946 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,355 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,214 Median family income: $121,329 Massachusetts Average annual cost of infant care: $26,709 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,939 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,592 Median family income: $147,606 Michigan Average annual cost of infant care: $10,023 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,007 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,972 Median family income: $91,725 Minnesota Average annual cost of infant care: $22,569 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,882 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $13,095 Median family income: $120,097 Mississippi Average annual cost of infant care: $6,868 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $6,251 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,277 Median family income: $68,774 Missouri Average annual cost of infant care: $13,173 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,332 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,097 Median family income: $90,329 Montana Average annual cost of infant care: $12,778 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,418 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,425 Median family income: $92,382 Nebraska Average annual cost of infant care: $14,106 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,863 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,015 Median family income: $98,439 Nevada Average annual cost of infant care: $15,950 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,268 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $6,839 Median family income: $87,250 New Hampshire Average annual cost of infant care: $17,364 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,437 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $17,312 Median family income: $129,335 New Jersey Average annual cost of infant care: $18,155 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $17,534 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,528 Median family income: $139,703 New Mexico Average annual cost of infant care: $14,244 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,993 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,656 Median family income: $67,747 New York Average annual cost of infant care: $17,361 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,988 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,723 Median family income: $111,885 North Carolina Average annual cost of infant care: $11,720 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,744 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,453 Median family income: $91,356 North Dakota Average annual cost of infant care: $12,373 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,474 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,896 Median family income: $113,528 Ohio Average annual cost of infant care: $17,071 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,426 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $11,110 Median family income: $96,488 Oklahoma Average annual cost of infant care: $12,468 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,790 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,666 Median family income: $80,886 Oregon Average annual cost of infant care: $19,064 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $13,717 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,638 Median family income: $104,700 Pennsylvania Average annual cost of infant care: $13,354 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $11,798 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $16,497 Median family income: $100,594 Rhode Island Average annual cost of infant care: $16,758 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,193 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $14,998 Median family income: $106,753 South Carolina Average annual cost of infant care: $11,512 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,481 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $12,821 Median family income: $84,171 South Dakota Average annual cost of infant care: $8,680 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $7,893 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,235 Median family income: $92,382 Tennessee Average annual cost of infant care: $12,249 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $8,469 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $10,617 Median family income: $82,836 Texas Average annual cost of infant care: $10,706 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,664 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,336 Median family income: $92,382 Utah Average annual cost of infant care: $13,094 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,725 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $7,339 Median family income: $102,647 Vermont Average annual cost of infant care: $18,836 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $18,366 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $17,903 Median family income: $110,859 Virginia Average annual cost of infant care: $14,277 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $10,807 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $15,081 Median family income: $108,806 Washington Average annual cost of infant care: $20,677 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,413 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,144 Median family income: $118,044 West Virginia Average annual cost of infant care: $9,692 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,540 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $8,865 Median family income: $71,853 Wisconsin Average annual cost of infant care: $16,956 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $14,974 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $9,129 Median family income: $105,726 Wyoming Average annual cost of infant care: $9,327 Average annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old: $9,006 In-state tuition for a four-year public college: $5,188 Median family income: $84,171 How to navigate the costs of raising kids Child-care costs vary widely from state to state and family to family, and deciding what’s best for you is always a personal decision. It might mean navigating some difficult trade-offs, such as deciding if one parent should cut back on work to care for children. That decision not only affects your household’s income, but could have a lasting impact that parent’s career. “A lot of times we’ll focus on the expense change, but oftentimes there’s an income change that comes with it as well,” says Natalie Taylor, a certified financial planner based in Santa Barbara, California. It’s important that parents consider “finding the child care not only that you want for your child and that you can afford, but also that works for your employment.” Taylor’s advice: Think about how having a child will impact your finances for the next five years, not the next 18. “I always tell clients to take it season by season, because child-care costs change,” she says. Taylor helps her clients understand the costs they can expect in each phase of the child’s growth and how they can adjust their financial plans accordingly. For example, the average cost of care for a 4-year-old is less expensive than infant care in all 50 states and D.C. “We talk a lot about, ‘What is the most you can do in this season?'” she says. Sometimes, that means letting clients know it’s OK if they need to slow down on their other goals for those first couple of years. But Taylor also helps her clients understand that changes like adjusting their 401(k) contributions should be temporary. Hopefully, they can resume working toward their other goals when their child-care costs settle down. Do you want a new career that’s higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career. Start today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025. 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