10 most-expensive U.S. cities to raise a child

It’s no secret that kids are expensive, but where you raise them can add thousands to your annual budget.

The average yearly cost of raising a child across the 100 most-populous U.S. metros is $22,989, but it can vary widely between cities, according to an analysis by Creditnews Research.

In San Francisco, the annual cost of raising a child is $37,340, the highest of all cities. In contrast, it’s only $14,661 in Jackson, Mississippi — a difference of just under $23,000.

The average cost of raising a child until the age of 18 across all 100 cities is $413,810, according to the study.

The estimates are based on the average extra costs that two working parents would be expected to pay in a given year, based on Department of Labor data. For one child, these expenses include child care, food, housing, health care, transportation and other necessities.

Unsurprisingly, cities with the highest child-related costs have some of the highest housing costs in the country, with housing being the biggest expense in a family’s typical household budget, according to the study. 

This suggests that the spillover effect of high housing costs can affect whether people who live in large cities can comfortably afford a family. In many large cities, the annual cost of having one child is just under half the current U.S. median household income of $79,090, according to Motio Research.

Here’s a look at the 10 least affordable metro areas for raising children, according to Creditnews Research.

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $37,340
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $672,120

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $37,305
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $671,490

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $35,236
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $634,242

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $33,267
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $598,800

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $32,763
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $589,728

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $32,115
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $578,070 

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $31,615
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $569,064

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $31,459
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $566,268

• Average annual cost of raising a child: $31,122
• Total cost of raising a child until age 18: $560,190