Map: The income you'll need to support a family in 2025

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FILE - A parent drops off her child at day care. (Getty Images) 

The price of – well, almost everything – has remained stubbornly high and some people in the United States have to consider cost-effective measures when raising a family.

Assuming that both parents are working, SmartAsset observed data as of February 2025 and found the minimum income needed to afford child care costs for a single child in each state. 

Here’s where each state ranked from most to least: 

See the full report here.

"These findings can help families objectively consider the tradeoffs between a career and child-raising," Jaclyn DeJohn, the director of economic analysis at SmartAsset, said in a statement to FOX Local. "While everyone’s individual situation will be unique to them, some baseline figures for what it costs to cover necessities in the early years of a child’s life can help families initiate important conversations about their long-term income and childcare strategies." 

Families in Massachusetts needed to earn most for 2 working parents and 1 child

By the numbers:

The data found parents in Massachusetts had to earn a minimum income of $124,842 in order to afford child care, which was the most costly among all 50 states that were included in SmartAssets analysis.  

This was followed by Hawaiians, who had the second-highest income needed at $119,226, and Californians, who needed to earn $115,814. 

The average cost of child care for a single child in the top three states were: 

Massachusetts: $44,221

Hawaii: $33,363

California: $35,651

What they're saying:

"Single income households may face more financial risk than dual-income households, as they may be more susceptible to catastrophic impacts from the sole earner losing their job," DeJohn continued, adding, "It may also be more difficult to save for long-term goals depending on the sole-earners income and the family’s lifestyle. If one parent plans to return to work once the children get older, it may be more difficult to find a desirable opportunity with a large gap in their resume. On the other hand, the relative financial security of dual-income households often comes at the cost of less time with the children, and thus less direct influence in their formative years."

DeJohn added: "Additionally, in some cases, stress can build up when one person is solely responsible for either work or childcare. So it’s important for partners to communicate about the perceived efficacy of their arrangement."

Raising a child costs nearly $300K

Big picture view:

A recent analysis conducted by LendingTree earlier this year found that the cost of raising a child has surged 25%, reaching a staggering $297,674 over an 18-year period.

Among the tracked categories, day care costs jumped the most since 2023, rising 51.8% from $11,752 to $17,836. Food (29.6%) and health insurance premiums (25%) followed.

In addition, the study showed that the annual costs associated with raising a small child (from food and apparel to transportation and child care) were $29,419 — up 35.7% since the study was last conducted in 2023.

RELATED: It now costs nearly 300K to raise a child; here’s where it’s most expensive