WASHINGTON — The yearly estimate by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has been released, determining that it now costs about $226,920
($286,860 factoring in expected inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities
to raise a child over a span of the next 17 years for a middle-income family.

That’s a 2% increase from 2009 figures. The cost of housing
accounts for 31% of the cost for raising a child for a family with a
middle-class level of income. In 1960, the first report stated that the cost
for a middle-income family to raise a child would be $25,230, which translates
to $185,856 in 2010 dollars.