Money
Ranked: The Most Expensive U.S. Metro Areas to Raise a Child
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
The Most Expensive U.S. Metro Areas to Raise a Child
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Raising a child can be expensive, often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars from birth through to adulthood.
This graphic shows the 10 most expensive metro areas to raise a child in, among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Costs include food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, and other necessities. All figures are as of February 2024. Data is from SmartAsset.
Boston Tops the List
Raising a child in a large U.S. metro area costs an average of $25,181 per year.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA, area is the most expensive, at $37,758 annually. Childcare costs $22,806 annually, and additional housing needs cost $5,425.
Metro area | Annual cost (USD) | Childcare | Housing | Food, healthcare, transportation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA | 37,758 | 22,806 | 5,425 | 9,527 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 35,642 | 19,554 | 5,924 | 10,164 |
Washington, DC | 35,554 | 24,886 | 2,762 | 7,906 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 34,415 | 18,867 | 5,352 | 10,196 |
Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 32,135 | 19,152 | 4,065 | 8,918 |
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 31,663 | 18,250 | 4,415 | 8,998 |
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 30,829 | 14,542 | 7,056 | 9,231 |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 30,781 | 17,935 | 4,558 | 8,288 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY | 30,463 | 17,475 | 3,983 | 9,005 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 30,231 | 15,090 | 6,197 | 8,944 |
U.S Average | 25,181 | 13,187 | 3,322 | 8,672 |
The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area comes in second, with an annual cost of $35,642 per child. Washington, DC, ranks third with an average cost of $35,554. Washington also leads the country in childcare costs alone at $24,886 annually.
Additional housing costs are higher in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad area, amounting to $7,056 annually. Meanwhile, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area tops the list for food, healthcare, and transportation costs.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out Ranked: The Most Valuable Housing Markets in America.
United States
The Most Expensive States to Maintain a Home
Hawaii has the highest average annual home maintenance cost at $29,015.
The Most Expensive States to Maintain a Home
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Buying a house is the American dream, but maintaining that property in good shape can be challenging for homeowners.
This map shows the 15 most expensive states in the U.S. to maintain a single-family home.
Hawaii is the Most Expensive State to Maintain a Home
The average annual cost of owning and maintaining a single-family home in the U.S. is more than $18,000 yearly, a 26% increase compared to 2020.
With an average annual cost of $29,015, Hawaii is the most expensive state to maintain a home.
California comes in second with an average annual ownership cost of $28,790, followed by Massachusetts with $26,313.
Rank | State | Average annual home ownership costs, 2024 | Percent change, 2020 vs. 2024 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | $29.0K | 38% |
2 | California | $28.8K | 32% |
3 | Massachusetts | $26.3K | 28% |
4 | New Jersey | $25.6K | 25% |
5 | Connecticut | $23.5K | 24% |
6 | Washington | $23.4K | 32% |
7 | New Hampshire | $23.3K | 29% |
8 | New York | $22.8K | 25% |
9 | Rhode Island | $22.0K | 27% |
10 | Colorado | $21.0K | 33% |
11 | Vermont | $19.8K | 29% |
12 | Maryland | $19.7K | 23% |
13 | Oregon | $19.2K | 24% |
14 | Florida | $19.2K | 33% |
15 | Utah | $19.1K | 44% |
U.S. Average | $18.2K | 26% |
Property taxes in New Jersey average $10,026 annually, the highest in the nation.
States with the Least Expensive Homeownership Costs
Kentucky is the least expensive place to own a home, with an average annual cost of $11,559, followed by Arkansas ($11,692) and Mississippi ($11,881).
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which shows what you need to earn to own a home in 50 American cities.
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