Whoa Baby! It's Expensive to Raise a Kid

By Amber Woods

Thinking about adding another family member to your brood? You may need to make some financial considerations first.

Hagerstown is one of the most expensive U.S. cities to raise a child, according to Redfin.

Out of 40 major cities ranked across the country as most expensive to raise a baby, Hagerstown ranked No. 13, where it costs about $22,600 to raise a baby, according to the report.

Baltimore ranked No. 19 and Washington, D.C. came in at number 4.

The average cost for a baby’s first year totals about $26,000 if you do some of the things families most often report doing in preparation—including housing upgrades, daycare, insurance and baby items, according to the report.

In most of the cities, the cost of housing upgrades, such as an additional bedroom, was the largest expense that families faced, except in Baltimore, where childcare expenses surpassed housing costs, according to the report.

San Jose, CA was ranked the most expensive city, coming in at $41,600.  

The full report can be viewed on Redfin’s blog.