Expenditures on Children by Families, 2007
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional expenditure survey modeling and economic price updating (by design analogy, non-clinical)
OpenAlex W1541891808 · doi:10.22004/ag.econ.45852
What was done
The authors modeled annual expenditures on children from birth through age 17 for married-couple and single-parent families in the United States. Calculations used data from the 1990–1992 Consumer Expenditure Survey, updated to 2007 price levels using the Consumer Price Index. Estimates were calculated across budget components, child age, family income level, and geographic region, including household size adjustment factors.
What was found
For the overall United States, child-rearing expense estimates ranged between $10,930 and $12,030 for a child in a middle-income, two-child, married-couple family in 2007 dollars. Specific numerical estimates for single-parent families, other income groups, age brackets, or specific regions were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
These figures serve as standard economic benchmarks used by state agencies to set child support guidelines, determine foster care payments, and guide family financial planning.
Limits
The baseline consumption patterns rely on 1990–1992 survey data updated only by the Consumer Price Index, which may not capture structural shifts in relative spending categories (such as childcare or healthcare) over time. Total sample size and subgroup precision metrics are not stated in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that spending to raise a child is approximately $250,000 over the course of the child's life.