how much to raise a child
From day care to the monthly grocery bill, the cost of raising a child is climbing at a rate that many families can't keep up with. It will cost an estimated $241,080 for a middle-income couple to raise a child born last year for 18 years, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday.That's up almost 3% from 2011 and doesn't even include the cost of college.At the same time, wages aren't keeping up.he biggest price tag is for families in the urban Northeast earning $105,360 or more. They will spend $446,100, much more than the national average, according to the report. Meanwhile, families earning less than $61,590 a year in rural areas will spend the least, at $143,160.