Hawaii’s Child-Raising Estimate Exceeds New Hampshire’s by $210,698

A state-by-state estimate puts the 18-year cost of raising one child at $412,661 in Hawaii, $210,698 more than the $201,963 estimate for New Hampshire, the lowest-ranked state.

The ranking covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Alaska has the second-highest estimate, at $365,047. The District of Columbia follows New Hampshire at the low end, with an estimate of $202,115.

For the United States overall, the modeled total is $303,418, or an average of $16,857 a year over 18 years. That national estimate is 1.9% above the previous figure of $297,674.

The model assigns an average annual cost of $29,325 to a child’s first five years and $12,061 to the following 13 years. Day care is counted only during the first five years, so the annual amounts are not uniform across the full period.

The calculation assumes a married couple with two earners, one child and annual family income of $99,999. It is not adjusted for inflation. Its expense categories include rent, food, infant day care, clothing, transportation, health insurance premiums and tax benefits; college costs are excluded.

Most inputs are from 2024, with newer national data for food, day care and taxes. The resulting figures are modeled estimates based on those inputs, rather than a bill that applies to every family.