Shocking cost of raising children revealed

By Keri Lumm, Buzz60

The US Department of Agriculture has released new data on the cost of raising a baby from birth to age 17.

With a growth rate of 3%, the average cost per kid has gone up to $233,000 each.

That's just one kid. The average American family has 2 kids, so double that and you are at almost a half a million dollars per family.

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Some states are more affordable to raise kids than others, Tennessee being the most affordable and Hawaii being the most expensive.

Of course, if you live in Hawaii you are in paradise, that does come with a price.

The USDA says that children are most expensive from ages 0-2 when there is the added expense of diapers and childcare.

And then they are even more expensive as teenagers between the ages of 15-17, costing parents almost 14000 a year.

This is why teenagers need jobs!

For $233,000 you could have a ferrari, or own a home free and clear, but neither of those things are going to support you in your old age, so, I'd say the investment in a kid is worthwhile.