The Most Expensive U.S. Cities to Raise a Child in 2026, Ranked

There are so many wonderful experiences when you're a parent, but it also becomes very apparent as you raise little ones that kids cost money.

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is more than $300,000, according to data from LendingTree.

Child care can be a huge cost for parents of young kids. In some states, the annual cost of child care for a 4-year-old is more than the annual cost for in-state tuition at a public university. Healthcare is also expensive when you have to cover an entire family, including children. Then add in additional costs such as food and clothes.

And those costs can vary from state to state or even city to city. SmartAsset analyzed data from 48 of the largest metro areas in the United States and found that some cities are worse than others when it comes to the economic cost of raising a child.

Raising Kids Costs More on the West Coast

Just how expensive is it to raise kids in the Western United States? Of the top 10 most expensive cities, seven of them are in the West. San Francisco tops the list, where it takes around $43,171 annually to raise a child, which was more than 10% higher in 2025 than the year before. Nearby San Jose came in third with a cost of $41,817, marking a 10.4% increase.

Fourth-place Seattle checked in with $36,282, followed by Denver at $34,712. One of the big issues for both states is the cost of child care. In both states, annual child care for an infant or a 4-year-old costs more than the average in-state tuition for a four-year public college. Infant care, which is typically the most expensive care for a young child, is around twice as much per year in those states as college tuition.

The only city to make the top five most expensive cities for kids was Boston at $42,584. Infant care is the biggest issue for parents who live in the area. The state of Massachusetts has the second-highest cost of infant care, with parents paying an average of $28,078 annually. The only place where it costs more is Washington, D.C.

Total costs, however, aren't the only issue affecting parents when it comes to paying to raise their kids. The rate at which those costs increase could also hurt parents' wallets as they try to handle child care.

Indianapolis, for example, landed 12th on the list with an annual price tag of $32,543 per child. But those costs rose 20.8% in 2025 from a year earlier, marking the biggest increase of any city SmartAsset reviewed. That huge increase in costs also bumped Indy up on the list above both Los Angeles and New York City compared to a year prior.

Southern cities also saw large percentage increases. Of the nine cities that saw at least a 10% rise in costs, four were in the South, with Birmingham, Alabama, coming in second-place overall for percentage increase. Three Florida cities—Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa—saw double-digit percentage increases.

The top 10 cities where it costs the most to raise a child each year include:

1. San Francisco, California
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. San Jose, California
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Denver, Colorado
6. San Diego, California
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Minneapolis, Minnesota
9. Sacramento, California
10. Portland, Oregon

More City-By-City Data: