Cost of raising a child in Hawaiʻi surges to $362,891—the most expensive in the US

Raising a child in Hawaiʻi now costs an estimated $362,891 over 18 years, making it the most expensive state in the country for families, according to a new LendingTree analysis. That’s 22% higher than the national average and reflects a broader trend of rising child-rearing costs across the United States.

Nationwide, the cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 has increased 25.3% since 2023, reaching $297,674. But Hawaiʻi families face even steeper expenses, with the annual cost now at $36,472—up dramatically due to spikes in child care, housing and food.

Key findings from the LendingTree report highlight how the burden breaks down in Hawaiʻi:

• Rent: $5,496 (highest in the US)
• Infant day care: $22,585 (3rd highest in the US)
• Additional rent for families with a child: $4,944 (2nd highest)
• Extra food costs: $2,481 (highest in the US)
• Transportation costs: $3,305 (3rd highest)
• Health insurance premium increases: $2,983 (29th highest)

These costs push child-rearing expenses in Hawaiʻi nearly $20,000 higher per year than in Mississippi, the least expensive state at $16,490. After Hawaiʻi, Massachusetts and Washington follow at $33,004 and $32,418, respectively. 

On average, American families now spend 22.6% of their income on child-related expenses—up from 19% in 2023. In Hawaiʻi, the financial strain is even more severe: 25.4% of household income goes toward raising a child, the highest share in the country.

The report accounts for a combination of child-specific costs—like day care and apparel—and household-level expenses that increase with children, such as food and rent. Among the tracked categories, day care costs jumped the most, rising 51.8% from $11,752 to $17,836 nationwide. Food (29.6%) and health insurance premiums (25.0%) followed.

Data was compiled from federal and state sources, including the US Census Bureau, MIT’s Living Wage Calculator and Child Care Aware of America. The dollar amounts do not account for inflation.

Among the biggest cost increases nationwide since 2023:

• Day care: +$6,084
• Food: +$962
• Health insurance premiums: +$721
• Value of tax credits decreased by $1,600 due to the expiration of expanded child tax credits

Only a few states, including the District of Columbia, Oregon and North Carolina, saw slight decreases in 18-year child-rearing costs since 2023.

“No one should be surprised that costs have risen in recent years, but the type of growth we’ve seen in child care costs is on a whole other level,” said LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz. “There are plenty of reasons for the growth, including inflation, growing labor costs and rising demand. However, whatever the reason, this growth is making an already challenging aspect of parenthood that much worse.”

The full study is available to view here.