Sources
Every dataset we rely on, with its publisher, the year the data describes, and what it does not tell you. This page is generated from the same registry the pages use, so it cannot fall out of step with them.
Last updated August 30, 2026
Data year matters. Throughout the site we state the year the underlying data describes, not the year we read it. The most important case is the USDA child cost series, which was discontinued and has not been remeasured since its 2015 data year.
Expenditures on Children by Families (the "cost of raising a child" report)
The series was discontinued after this edition. Later figures quoted anywhere, including ours, are inflation adjustments of it rather than new measurements.
Used on:
USDA Food Plans: monthly cost of food reports (Thrifty, Low-cost, Moderate, Liberal)
Updated monthly. Our grocery tiers map onto these four plan levels.
Used on:
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Median hourly wages by occupation, used to price the roles in the stay-at-home parent calculator.
Used on:
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Household spending by category and family composition.
Used on:
- How much allowance should my child get?
- Should kids get paid for chores?
- How much does it cost to raise a child?
- Does it pay for one of us to stay home?
- What should my teenager know before they leave home?
- Allowance by age
- Cost of raising a child
- Daycare vs stay at home
- Diaper cost
- Formula vs breastfeeding
- Family road trip cost
The Price of Care: annual child care affordability analysis
Child care prices vary enormously by state and care type, which is why we ask for your number rather than assuming one.
Used on:
Media and Young Minds, and the Family Media Plan guidance
Source of the age bands used in the screen time calculator: avoid screens other than video chat under 18 to 24 months, and about one hour a day of high-quality programming for ages 2 to 5.
Used on:
The Common Sense Census: media use by tweens and teens
Source of the "typical usage" figures, which describe what children actually do rather than what is recommended.
Used on:
Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid
Published tuition and fees, and the gap between published and net price after aid.
Used on:
Digest of Education Statistics
Used on:
Census Bureau family and living arrangements data
Sources used on country pages
The country versions of the cost-of-raising-a-child calculator use national data in addition to the above:
- Germany: Kita fee and Beitragsfreiheit status by Bundesland, from the Deutscher Bildungsserver overview. Twelve of the sixteen states have some form of exemption, and the scope differs sharply between them.
- Japan: MEXT Survey of Learning Expenses, FY2023, published December 2024, which is the basis of the roughly 3.3 times ratio between all-private and all-public education paths.
Found an error?
Please tell us. If a figure here is wrong or out of date we would rather correct it than defend it.