What does it cost to raise a child? Mississippi is cheapest state in 2025

Childcare costs are rising, but parents in Mississippi are getting a bargain.

In 2025, the average U.S. cost to raise a child younger than 5 is $27,743, according to SmartAsset . The site, which gives financial education and advice, crunched the numbers to find the cheapest and most expensive places to raise kids.

Over 18 years, Lending Tree estimated that Mississippi parents will spend about $190,402 to raise a child over 18 years. In some states, those costs could exceed $300,000.

SmartAsset analysts found that costs across the country climbed by about 4.5%, which outpaced the 2.8% inflation rate. And costs can change a lot from state to state.

Mississippi is the only state where costs were lower than $20,000, according to SmartAsset. That's less than half of what it costs in