In the 1960 report, housing accounted for 31 percent of child-raising costs, then estimated at $25,230 -- equal to $195,690 in 2012 dollars. Food was the second-biggest expense, at 24 percent, with transportation at 16 percent, up from 14 percent in 2012.
Health care covered 4 percent of costs in 1960, half the 2012 level. More-expensive medical treatments for children, especially babies, has pushed spending higher at a faster rate than other costs, said Carolina Herrera, research director for the Health Care Cost Institute, which analyzes data given by insurance companies to understand spending trends.
Education and child care were 18 percent of 2012 costs, up from 2 percent in 1960 when most children were cared for at home. Median household income in 1960 was $5,600 -- or $44,176 in today’s dollars. U.S. household income in 2011, the most recent data, was $50,054.