Most Expensive Cities for Raising a Child

Ranked: The Most Expensive U.S. Cities for Raising a Child in 2026
Bruno Venditti, Visual Capitalist
August 7, 2026

Information from this Visual Capitalist article, which is based on SmartAsset's 2026 metro-area analysis of the annual cost of raising one child in a household with two working adults, shows that St. Louis and Kansas City are ranked 27th and 33rd of 48 major U.S. metro areas.

St. Louis

• Rank: 27th out of 48 major U.S. metro areas

• Annual cost to raise a child: $25,449 

Kansas City

• Rank: 33rd out of 48 major U.S. metro areas

• Annual cost to raise a child: $24,543 

Comparison

• Raising a child in St. Louis costs about $906 more per year than in Kansas City. 

• Both metros are well below the most expensive coastal markets, with annual costs roughly 40% lower than San Francisco's. 

• Among the Midwest cities included, St. Louis and Kansas City fall near the middle of the pack, below Minneapolis ($33,307) and Indianapolis ($32,543), but above Detroit ($23,682) and Memphis ($19,922). 

What the Cost Includes

The study estimates the additional annual cost of having one child and incorporates:

• Childcare

• Housing

• Food

• Healthcare

• Transportation

• Other necessities [visualcapitalist.com], [smartasset.com]

For someone in Missouri, the article suggests that both St. Louis and Kansas City remain relatively affordable large metro areas for families compared with the nation's highest-cost markets. However, annual child-related expenses still exceed $24,000-$25,000 per child per year. 

Source: Visual Capitalist, "Ranked: The Most Expensive U.S. Cities for Raising a Child in 2026." 

Read the full article: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-most-expensive-u-s-cities-for-raising-a-child-2026/?mc_cid=8a025671a3&mc_eid=a4157eaf06

The data you need when you need it. Contact CCAMO today.

To find out more, click here:

Certifications through Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Data Literacy Monetary Policy Diversity in Data

Explore our other Child Care Aware® of Missouri resources:

Child Care Keeps Missouri Working℠
Child Care Health and Wellness
Community Data
Join Our Team
Leadership Development Opportunities
Missouri Office of Childhood Updates
Scholarships for Educators
Show Me Child Care Resources
Support Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Resources to Build Your Business
Training and Technical Assistance