Common costs associated with raising a child — such as childcare, additional food, medical costs, housing and more — can add up to tens of thousands of dollars per year. Understanding the costs associated with raising a child is essential to family well-being and the average projected annual cost of raising a small child has changed depending on the metro area. SmartAsset.com breaks down the cost of raising a child in major U.S. metros including the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC, metro area.
The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area ranked in the top 10 of places where the cost of raising a child grew most. Ranked at number two, the Maryland metro area experienced one of the biggest increases in cost of raising a child with a 17.27% change since 2024.
The places where the cost of raising a child grew most vary. Factoring in the costs for childcare, additional housing, food, medical necessities and other expenses makes the total price tag add up much higher in some places. This article breaks down the cost of raising a child in major U.S. metros including the most and least expensive metro areas and where costs increased and decreased the most.
SmartAsset.com ranked 48 major U.S. metro areas based on the average estimated annual cost of raising a small child by using MIT’s Living Wage Calculator data to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults in 48 of the largest metro areas. The annual change in these costs was also evaluated. The cost of raising a child can change quickly, making it important for budding families to keep an eye on trends in their locale.
Top 10 Places Where the Cost of Raising a Child Grew Most
1) St. Louis, MO
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 22.45%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $24,317
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $19,858
- Cost of childcare: $13,230
- Housing costs: $2,770
- Food costs: $1,989
- Medical costs: $1,844
- Transportation costs: $3,046
- Civic costs: $573
- Other costs: $863
2) Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 17.27%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $28,068
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $23,934
- Cost of childcare: $14,120
- Housing costs: $4,350
- Food costs: $2,093
- Medical costs: $3,426
- Transportation costs: $2,815
- Civic costs: $474
- Other costs: $791
3) Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 15.27%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $26,947
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $23,378
- Cost of childcare: $15,780
- Housing costs: $2,300
- Food costs: $1,777
- Medical costs: $2,461
- Transportation costs: $3,194
- Civic costs: $573
- Other costs: $863
4) Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 13.80%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $30,660
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $26,943
- Cost of childcare: $17,971
- Housing costs: $3,49
- Food costs: $2,096
- Medical costs: $2,677
- Transportation costs: $2,852
- Civic costs: $629
- Other costs: $941
5) Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 12.50%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $28,598
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $25,421
- Cost of childcare: $13,130
- Housing costs: $5,471
- Food costs: $1,816
- Medical costs: $3,020
- Transportation costs: $3,507
- Civic costs: $657
- Other costs: $998
6) Kansas City, MO
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 12.01%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $23,143
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $20,661
- Cost of childcare: $12,714
- Housing costs: $1,968
- Food costs: $2,003
- Medical costs: $1,879
- Transportation costs: $3,142
- Civic costs: $573
- Other costs: $863
7) Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 11.91%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $34,448
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $30,781
- Cost of childcare: $19,195
- Housing costs: $4,571
- Food costs: $2,215
- Medical costs: $3,956
- Transportation costs: $2,856
- Civic costs: $657
- Other costs: $998
8) Oklahoma City, OK
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 11.66%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $22, 846
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $20,460
- Cost of childcare: $10,753
- Housing costs: $2,613
- Food costs: $1,879
- Medical costs: $3,017
- Transportation costs: $3,320
- Civic costs: $474
- Other costs: $791
9) Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 11.25%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $23,631
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $21,241
- Cost of childcare: $10,484
- Housing costs: $3,548
- Food costs: $1,878
- Medical costs: $2,988
- Transportation costs: $3,078
- Civic costs: $657
- Other costs: $998
10)San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- One year change in cost of raising a child: 10.03%
- Total annual cost of raising a child in 2025: $37,867
- Total annual cost of raising a child 2024: $34,415
- Cost of childcare: $20,966
- Housing costs: $5,740
- Food costs: $2,241
- Medical costs: $3,835
- Transportation costs: $3,431
- Civic costs: $657
- Other costs: $998
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC: The DC metro area was listed at a rank of 13 under the cost of raising a child in the largest U.S. metro areas, dropping from third most expensive in last year’s study. This metro area also fell under top 10 places where the cost of raising a child decreased the most, experiencing a 15% drop in Washington, DC.
Quick stats for DC metro area
- Annual cost of raising a child 2025: $30,157
- Annual cost of raising a child 2024: $35,554
- One year change: -15.18%
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