SALT LAKE CITY — In Utah, where family life is a cornerstone of culture, the price tag of raising a child is climbing higher than many parents expect.
A new study by LendingTree found that, between food, child care, and other essentials, it now costs $276,509 to raise a child in the Beehive State. That makes Utah the 17th-most expensive state to raise a child.
Hawaii ranked as the most expensive state for child rearing, with the total cost over 18 years reaching $412,661. Mississippi was the cheapest state, with only $308,664 needed for the 18 years.
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According to LendingTree, they analyzed the annual cost of raising a child, factoring in everything from day care and rent to food and apparel. Nationwide, the average cost of raising a child rose 1.9% over 2025's report to $303,418.
Utah saw a 17.5% rise in child care costs year over year, the tenth largest jump from states in the study.
While the total costs of raising a child are staggering, those dollar values don't get the full picture across. For that, the experts say they looked at income values to see how much impact they have on families.
According to the study, Utahns spend 18.7% of their total income each year on their children. The District of Columbia had parents that spent the least amount of their income on their children at just 13.9%.
“The cost of raising a child for 18 years has climbed to more than $300,000, and that steady rise puts tremendous strain on Americans' budgets," Matt Schulz, the chief consumer finance analyst for LendingTree, said. "Even though some early child care costs dipped slightly, the overall trend is still upward."
