| What It Costs to Raise a Child Estimated Expenditures for a Child, Birth to Age 17: United States, 2004 Based on before-tax annual family income of $41,000. Expense for single-parent family for two-parent family
Source: Expenditures on Children by Families: 2004 Annual Report. U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, miscellaneous publication 1528-2004, www.cnpp.usda.gov/Crc/crc2004.pdf. What’s included in the categories of household expenditures: Housing: shelter (mortgage interest, property taxes, or rent; maintenance and repairs; and insurance), utilities (gas, electricity, fuel, telephone, and water), and house furnishings and equipment (furniture, floor coverings, major appliances, and small appliances). Housing expenses do not include mortgage principal payments; such payments are considered in the Consumer Expenditure Survey (the basis of this report) to be part of savings. Therefore, dollars allocated to housing by homeowners are underestimated in this report. Food: food and nonalcoholic beverages purchased at grocery, convenience, and specialty stores, including purchases with food stamps; dining at restaurants; and household expenditures on school meals. Transportation: net outlay on purchase of new and used vehicles, vehicle finance charges, gasoline and motor oil, maintenance and repairs, insurance, and public transportation. Clothing: children’s apparel such as diapers, shirts, pants, dresses, and suits; footwear; and clothing services such as dry cleaning, alterations and repair, and storage. Health Care: medical and dental services not covered by insurance, prescription drugs and medical supplies not covered by insurance, and health insurance premiums not paid by employer or other organizations. Child Care and Education: day care tuition and supplies; baby-sitting; and elementary, middle, and high school tuition, books, and supplies. Miscellaneous: personal care items, entertainment, and reading materials. |
