Cost of raising a child rises to $234,900

Washington, D.C., United States (4E) – The cost of raising a child in the United States is rising.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to shell out $234,900 for food, shelter and other necessities to raise him or her over the next 17 years.

That is a 3.5 percent increase from 2010.

Much of the increase in 2011 came from a 10 percent rise in transportation costs, namely gas prices that surpassed $4 a gallon in some areas of the country, making daily trips and vacations more expensive.

Middle income parents with an income between $59,410 and $102,870 can expect to spend $234,900, and a family earning more than $102,870 can expect to spend $389,670 to raise a child, according to the data.

The single largest expense in raising a child is housing costs, averaging $70,560, or 30 percent of the total cost, until the age of 17.

Child care and education, followed by food, were the next two largest expenses, at 18 and 16 percent respectfully.

The cost of child care has risen substantially since the first report was assembled 51 years ago. Back then, a middle income family could have expected to spend $25,230 to raise a child through age 17.

The report has been issued annually by the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion since 1960.

---

---