Oklahoma ranks ninth for affordable child-raising costs in the U.S.

Oklahoma ranked ninth in the nation for the annual cost of raising a child, making it one of the more affordable states in the United States. The estimated annual cost to raise a child in Oklahoma is $19,535, according to data compiled by Visual Capitalist. This places the state at 42nd on the list, since the article rankings are listed from most to least expensive. 

On average, U.S. families with two working parents spend about $23,000 annually to raise one child. Using data compiled by SmartAsset as of February 2024, Visual Capitalist compares the living costs of a two-working-adult household with one child to a two-working-adult household without children, factoring in expenses like food, housing, childcare, healthcare and transportation. 

Among the states, Massachusetts has the highest cost, with an estimated $35,841 per year to raise a child. Mississippi is the least expensive, with an annual cost of $16,151. Only 8 states have lower costs than Oklahoma, including Tennessee, Kansas, South Dakota, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. 

Across all states, childcare tends to be the largest expense for families, followed by housing and food costs. Housing expenses include rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities and household furnishings. Childcare costs account for education, daycare, babysitting and other related services, as well as possible private school tuition. 

It’s important to note that these figures do not include the cost of a college education, which can significantly add to a family’s financial burden over time.