Yahoo Finance Here’s How Much 10 Years of Child Care Will Cost You in America’s Largest Cities
The typical American family can expect to spend $1,984 per month on child care expenses, according to a February 2024 analysis conducted by real estate marketplace Zillow. The more expensive one’s residing metro is, however, the more likely it is that child care costs will continue adding up.
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To find the average cost of raising a child in America’s 50 largest cities, GOBankingRates started by considering child care costs starting at age two through middle school age, or 12 years old, and finding the 50 largest cities in terms of population. Additional factors sourced for each city included the average home value for single family homes in March 2024, the average mortgage cost (calculated by assuming a 10% down payment and using the national 30-year average fixed rate mortgage), the cost-of-living index and the average expenditure costs.
The average annual cost for child care in different life stages was found using the child care cost data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Childcare Prices by Age of Children and Child Care Setting. The average total cost of living with child care was calculated using the average costs of child care and the total cost of living without children. For the total cost to raise a child in each city from birth to age 12, the total child care cost was added to the total cost of living.
Key Findings
The total cost to raise a child is more than $225,000 in 10 cities. Of these 10 cities, seven are based in California. The remaining cities are in Washington, New York and Massachusetts, meaning the combined cost of living and cost of 10 years of child care for children ages two through 12 is highest on the West Coast.
The total cost of center-based child care alone is more than $130,000 in 11 cities. The majority of the cities that ranked as most expensive are on the West Coast, including six cities in California and one city in Oregon. Of the remaining four cities, two are on the East Coast in Massachusetts and New York, and two are in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Wichita, Kansas, emerged as the cheapest city to raise a child in our study. The total cost to raise a child is $88,000 here while the total cost of center-based child care is $40,000.
In order from the most to the least expensive total costs of raising a child, here are the 10 cities where it costs the most money to raise a child from age 2 through age 12 over a period of 10 years.
1. San Francisco
San Francisco ranks first as the most expensive city to raise a child. The total cost to raise a child, combining the cost of child care and the cost of living, is $308,343.83. The total cost for center-based child care comes out to $162,085.78.
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2. San Jose
In second place is San Jose where the total cost to raise a child is $307,554.56 and the total cost for center-based child care is $152,883.35.
3. Oakland
Oakland, California, is considered the third most expensive city to raise a child with total costs amounting at $256,931.08 and costs for center-based child care at $151,911.39.
4. San Diego
Taking fourth place is San Diego. Total combined costs for child care and cost of living come out to $251,005.51 while center-based child care expenses amount to $128,791.16.
5. New York
The fifth most expensive city for raising a child is New York City. Total child care and cost of living expenses come out to $249,754.85. Center-based child care expenses amount to $149,691.42.
6. Anaheim
In sixth place is Anaheim, California, where parents can expect total child care and cost of living expenses of $244,945.25 and $138,523.03 for center-based child care expenses.
7. Los Angeles
Los Angeles, in seventh place, totals $241,856.25 as its cost to raise a child while center-based child care costs $130,056.31
8. Boston
The second East Coast city to rank as most expensive for raising a child is Boston. The total cost to raise a child is $236,918.38 and expenses for center-based child care come out to $139,349.32.
9. Long Beach
As the ninth most expensive city for raising a child, Long Beach, California, costs $231,935.90 to raise a child between ages 2 through 12 in Long Beach. Parents paying for center-based child care expenses can anticipate spending $130,056.31 as their total cost.
10. Seattle
In tenth place is Seattle where total costs of raising a child are $225,587.71 and costs for center-based child care are at $119.042.77.
Compared to the 10 most expensive cities for raising a child, there are many cities across the U.S. where it is way more affordable to raise a child. Here are the 10 cities ranked in order from least to most expensive total costs of raising a child.
1. Wichita
The least expensive city to raise a child is Wichita, Kansas. The total cost, combining child care and the cost of living, is $88,660.74. The total cost for center-based child care comes out to just $40,280.14.
2. Memphis
In second place is Memphis, Tennessee, where the total cost for raising a child is $94,596.18 and $52,386.21 for center-based child care. Wichita and Memphis are unique in their least expensive ranking as both cities are the only ones where the total costs of child care and the cost of living is under $100,000.
3. El Paso
El Paso, Texas, takes third place as the least expensive city for raising a child with total costs amounting at $111,670.55 and costs for center-based child care at $65,705.41.
4. Nashville
In fourth place is Nashville, where parents pay $117,990.25 in total child care and cost of living costs and $52,386.21 for center-based child care expenses.
5. Louisville
As the fifth least expensive city for raising a child, Louisville, Kentucky parents can anticipate paying $71,764.87 in center-based child care expenses and $120,061.13 in total child care costs.
6. Jacksonville
If you live in Jacksonville, Florida, ranked in sixth place as the least expensive city to raise a child, your total child care expenses will be $120,335.40. Center-based child care expenses add up to $64,975.07.
7. Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma, the seventh least expensive city, costs $121,462.57 to raise a child while center-based child care amounts to $74,303.11.
8. Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City takes eighth place with the total cost to raise a child at $121,603.83 and expenses for center-based child care coming out to $74,504.48.
9. New Orleans
Ranked as the ninth least expensive city for raising a child is New Orleans, where $124,866.10 are the total costs to raise a child between ages 2 through 12. Parents opting for center-based child care will pay $75,485.88 in expenses.
10. Cleveland
Cleveland takes tenth place as the least expensive city for raising a child. The total costs for raising a child are $126,891.14 while costs for center-based child care amount to $87,831.63.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the cost of childcare in America’s 50 largest cities to find the average cost of living for a family. First GOBankingRates found the 50 largest cities in terms of population as sourced from the US Census American Community Survey. Next GOBankingRates found the average home value for single family homes in March 2024 as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and calculated the average mortgage cost by assuming a 10% down payment and using the national 30 year average fixed rate mortgage as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data. For each city the cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s Bestplaces and using the average expenditure costs for married couples with kids as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost for each city can be calculated. Using the average expenditure cost and the mortgage, the total cost of living without childcare in each city can be calculated. By using the childcare cost data from the US Department of Labor’s Childcare Prices by Age of Children and Child Care Setting, the average annual cost for childcare in different life stages can be found. Using the average costs of childcare and the total cost of living without childcare, the average total cost of living with childcare can be calculated. The data was kept separate to show the different prices for a child at home versus center-based centers as well as the four different life stages for children. By using the life-stages set by the US Department of Labor, the average cost for childcare can be calculated with the annual childcare cost and the amount of time at each stage. Adding the total childcare cost to the total cost of living gives the total cost to raise a child in each city from birth to the age of 12. The data was sorted from the highest to lowest total cost of raising a child at center-based programs. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 18th, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s How Much 10 Years of Child Care Will Cost You in America’s Largest Cities
