Where Does DFW Rank in Child-Rearing Expenditures?

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex ranks No. 35 out of 50 of the largest metro areas in the United States, organized from high to lowest, according to the yearly cost of raising a child.

SmartAsset examined the annual cost of raising a child in the DFW area, which is $21,926. This annual cost is less than the national average of $25,181 in comparable large U.S. metros.

Of the $21,926 for the DFW area, $10,396 is allocated toward childcare and $3,002 toward additional housing.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts, took the top spot overall. There, it is estimated that raising a child costs $37,758 per year. The study shows that $22,806 of that estimation is allotted for childcare, while $5,425 goes to additional housing.

Northern California’s San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metroplex came in a close second overall, with an estimated $35,642 total cost to raise one child annually.

Washington, D.C., was ranked No. 3 overall but took the prize for the highest estimation for annual childcare at $24,886.

The estimates were created using an MIT Living Wage Calculator for 2024 and comparing costs of living with and without children in 50 metroplexes. Estimations include food, housing, childcare, transportation, and healthcare. However, education was not accounted for, according to SmartAsset.