Child-rearing expenses for middle-income, two-parent families are lowest in rural areas, according to a recently released report.
The USDA examined the various costs associated with raising children in “Expenditures on Children by Families” and found that a middle-income family with a child born in 2013 will spend about $245,340 on food, housing, education, and other expenses necessary to raise that child. Rural middle-income families spend $193,590, while families living in the most expensive urban areas in the Northeast spend $282,480. Rural families spend the most on children who are 15-17 years old, and the least on 3-5 year olds.
Housing costs, which is the largest single expenditure for child-rearing, vary greatly by region. The average price for housing in the urban west, for example, is $261,330. In rural parts of the country, the average housing price is $193,590.
The report also found that transportation expenses were highest in the urban west and rural areas nationwide, most likely due to longer traveling distances.