Raising a child vs. owning a dog: How do the costs compare in each state?

Parenthood or pet parenthood? Comparing the costs of raising a child versus a dog

It may not come as a shock that raising a child is more expensive than caring for a dog, but the scale of the difference may surprise you.

Overall, across the U.S., the average annual cost of raising a child is $15,752, while the cost of having a dog is $2,491 — that’s a 532% difference, meaning that for every dollar it costs to have a dog, it costs $6.32 to have a child.

Prices for children in the categories we looked at are more expensive across the board. But, by far, the expense that drives up the difference the most is child care, which costs nearly $12,000 per year, while the occasional pet sitter or boarding at a kennel costs just 3.1% of that amount annually. Housing and transportation are other significant cost differences between children and dogs.

The annual cost of raising a child in each state

Having a child is one of the biggest decisions you can make in life — and the expenses of it justify the weight of that decision. Nationally, the cost of raising a child is nearly $16,000 annually, and as costs for key basic needs, such as housing and food, have climbed in recent years, so too has the cost of child-rearing.

But these expenses differ significantly depending on where you live. Expenses for raising a child or a pet are particularly high in areas with higher costs of living, such as Hawaii and California, while they are much lower in Southern states with cheaper housing and other lesser expenses. In Massachusetts, for example, the annual cost of a child is nearly 3.3 times greater than in South Carolina.

The annual cost of owning a dog in each state

Interest in pet ownership continues to grow across the U.S., driven in part by millennials, who own more pets than any other age group and are more likely to prefer owning a pet to having a child.

While the costs for a dog may be significantly lower than for a child, they can amount to thousands of dollars per year. Americans care so much for pets that many are willing to go into debt if unexpected medical costs arise in an emergency.

Here's a look at our full data

Curious about how owning a dog and raising a child compare in your state? Use the table below to see how your state stacks up, and find out how many dogs you could own for the cost of raising a single child.

Planning for the costs of parenthood or pet ownership

Whether you have pets, children or both, or if you’re still considering how you might expand your family, it's crucial to consider the financial implications.

Be mindful of what factors affect the costs of your future family members. Expenses for dogs are spread across a few select categories, including food and veterinary care. Comparatively, the costs associated with raising a child may be dominated by expensive child care or schooling in their later years.

Family planning requires careful budgeting and saving to manage these additional expenses effectively. Consider starting an emergency fund and think about where you plan to settle down — these costs may be significantly higher or lower depending on where you live.

Methodology

We compared the yearly cost of raising a child and a dog in each state by analyzing expenses associated with each. For children, we examined costs for two working adults with one child and compared it with a childless household across categories including housing, food, child care, and taxes, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Child Care Aware of America and NCSL.

For dogs, we evaluated costs related to food, toys and treats, veterinary care, pet sitting, walking, boarding and grooming, sourcing data from the American Kennel Club. We adjusted these costs for inflation using the consumer price index (CPI) and applied the current cost of living index (COLI) to determine each state's total cost.

For questions about the data or if you'd like to set up an interview, please contact acurls@consumeraffairs.com.

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