The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

National News

Discussion

June 15, 2012

Children born in 2011 to cost $234,900 each to raise

Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES — Children: They bring you untold joy and hope for the future. They also cost $234,900 each to raise. And that doesn’t include college.

Kids are an increasingly expensive proposition, with expenses up 3.5 percent last year from 2010, according to an annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As an aside, it’s kind of strange that a government agency that usually concerns itself with the price of corn and salmonella outbreaks has studied child-rearing costs since 1960. But the numbers are key to courts and state governments, which use them to determine child support guidelines and foster care payments.

To bring up a kid from birth until age 17, not counting the cost of pregnancy, involves housing, food, education, clothing, transportation, health care and more. Many of those categories have seen price inflation in the past year.

Depending on the youngster’s age, parents can expect to pay $12,290 to $14,320 a year keeping him or her clothed, fed and housed. (For what it’s worth, the first year owning a large dog, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is estimated to be $1,843.)

Of course, the cost of parenting varies based on a variety of factors - income levels, geography, family size, etc.

A family earning less than $59,410 a year will shell out $169,080 on each kid. Middle-income moms and dads spend $234,900. Wealthier families earning $102,870 or more will devote $389,670 to their offspring.

That’s less than half the cost of a Porsche 918 Spyder.

Raising children in the urban Northeast and West areas is most expensive.

Having more children means less cost per child because siblings share bedrooms, clothing and toys while parents buy in bulk and reap group discounts. Families with three or more children spend 22 percent less on each kid than parents with a brood of two or fewer.

Wonder if that’s part of the rationale for the Duggars or “Octomom” Nadya Suleman.

 

Text Only
National News
Facebook
Poll

Two kinds of freshwater mussels, both found in Spring River, could be placed on the endangered species list. That would mean some dredging or placement of bridges could be affected. Do you think the mussels should be placed on the list?

A. Yes.
B. No.
     View Results
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
NDN Video
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia