Data & Research

Expenditures on Children by Families provides estimates of the cost of raising children from birth through age 17 for major budgetary components. The most recent version of the report was published in 2017 and estimates the cost of raising children born in 2015. Currently, USDA is evaluating the methods used to inform this report to ensure they reflect best practices in the field.

The Expenditures on Children by Families annual report provides estimates of the cost of raising children from birth through age 17 for different budgetary components, including food, housing, transportation, health care, clothing, child care and education, and miscellaneous costs.