Massachusetts Is the Most Expensive State in America to Raise Kids

The cost of raising children in Massachusetts is astronomical. If you have kids, you already know this. Not only is it expensive to raise children here, but Massachusetts is the most expensive state – by far – in which to raise children.

A study by smartasset.com says, "Raising a child costs almost $36,000 per year in Massachusetts," while the median cost to two working parents to raise one child is $22,850 "across all states."

That's a big difference.

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A key finding of the study is that "Massachusetts has the highest annual costs for two working adults raising a small child at $35,841. More than half this cost is attributed to childcare ($21,503), which is the highest of any state."

Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst for Lending Tree, told Fox Business, "There is so much that goes into childcare, including rent, payroll, insurance, and much more. When all those costs shoot up, the overall cost of childcare does too."

According to Fox Business, Lending Tree reports, "The cost of childcare surged nearly 20% between 2016 and 2021, the latest year for which complete data is available."

The smartasset.com study says, "Raising a child up to the age of 18 costs $439,000 more in Massachusetts than Mississippi."

Among the other New England states the smartasset.com study ranks Connecticut as the third-most expensive state in the nation to raise a child at $32,803 per year, New Hampshire is seventh at $27,849, Rhode Island ninth at $27,630, Vermont is 11th at $27,170, and Maine is 17th at $24,917.

The study pegs annual food costs for a child in Massachusetts at $2,193, medical expenses at $2,347, additional housing at $4,983, transportation at $2,944, and other necessities at $1,871.

The least expensive state to raise a child is Mississippi, at $16,151, according to the smartasset.com study.

Read more findings from the smartasset.com study here.