Costly Children

The Friday File: The average cost of raising a baby born in 2015 through age 17 for a middle-income married-couple is $233,610. Housing is the costliest single item, accounting for 29% of all spending, followed by food at 18% and childcare/education at 6%. As expected, there are economies of scale with regards to kids. Compared to a family with two children, families with one child spend 27% more per child.