It Costs $253K To Raise A Child In Pennsylvania, New Government Study Shows

Everyone knows kids are expensive, but exactly how expensive are they?

In urban Pennsylvania, it will cost $253,770 for the average family to raise a child, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And that doesn't even include college. Residents of rural areas of the state can expect to pay more than $193,000 per child.

The Expenditures on Children by Families report, also known as “The Cost of Raising a Child,” uses the most recent data from 2015 to determine how much people can expect to pay for food, housing, transportation, health care and other necessities for their children from birth to age 17.

Nationwide, the report found the average cost to raise a child is $233,610. Residents of Pennsylvania, part of the urban Northeast region, can expect to pay about $20,000 more than that.

Housing makes up the most significant portion of the cost of raising children. The report found 29 percent of the more than $250,000 is needed for housing. Food makes up 18 percent, followed by childcare/education (16 percent), transportation (15 percent), and health care (9 percent). Six percent is for clothing and other miscellaneous necessities accounted for 7 percent.

The report, which can be found by clicking here, does not include costs related to pregnancy or college costs.

“Understanding the costs of raising children and planning for anticipated and unexpected life events is an important part of securing financial health,” said Louisa Quittman, Director of the Office of Financial Security for the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The costs were highest in the urban Northeast, followed by the urban West, where it costs an estimated $235,140 to raise a child. The least-expensive urban area to raise a child is the midwest ($217,020).

Across rural America, families can expect to pay $193,020 per child.

Child-rearing costs "vary greatly" depending on the number and ages of children in a household, according to the report's author. As family size increases, costs per child generally decrease.

“There are significant economies of scale, with regards to children, sometimes referred to as the ‘cheaper by the dozen effect.’ As families increase in size, children may share a bedroom, clothing and toys can be reused, and food can be purchased in larger, more economical packages.” author Mark Lino said.

Patch file photo