Here's What it Costs to Raise a Newborn in Media

Welcoming a baby into your household is expensive, generally speaking, but in some parts of the country the costs can be really eye-popping, according to the real estate brokerage Redfin.

You need not only a good pediatrician but also a good cushion of savings to fall back on.

A newborn’s first year will cost anywhere from around $16,000 to more than double that, depending on where you live, says Redfin, which compared 79 metro areas for baby-related expenses, including what it costs to upgrade to a bigger home with a bigger mortgage.

See what parents in Media are likely to spend on the way to putting a birthday cake in front of a 1-year-old (with wet naps at the ready).

Bringing up baby in Media

Some of the least expensive places to raise an infant are Southern cities, while major cities in the Northeast and California metro areas are the priciest.

Here’s what the study finds about baby’s first year in Media: The total cost is an average of $21,440 when the household moves up from a two-bedroom house to a three-bedroom, or $0 total when you go from a one-bedroom condominium to a condo with two bedrooms.

Surprised? Those totals include typical, local differences in mortgages for the larger homes, as well as average annual child care costs in each area, as estimated by ChildCare Aware of America.

The high cost of kid care

In Media, child care costs an average $11,560 a year. Having someone there with the kid at all times is the biggest expense for an expanding family, Redfin says.

“If you decide to stay at home to take care of your baby, you may have to forgo income and pause your career progression,” says Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist.

“If you hire a nanny, you will need to pay them a competitive wage,” he adds. “And if you happen to find an affordable daycare provider, you may have to sit on a waiting list until a spot opens up for your child.”

Compared to child care, the extra room for a nursery is a relatively cheap expense, in any city.

Spank high baby costs

Two other costs are part of the baby bottom line in Media. Redfin’s calculations for an infant’s first year include national average out-of-pocket health care costs of $1,297 for a newborn, and BabyCenter’s estimate that a U.S. household spends $7,850 on baby things such as clothing, diapers and other supplies.

But your bundle of joy doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a bundle. Here are a few tips on ways to hold down your baby budget:

• Always be on the lookout for coupons and free samples, even while you’re still at the hospital. Manufacturers are eager to turn new parents into loyal customers.
• Load up on giant-size packages of diapers from wholesale club stores. You’ll save about $170 per year, Parents magazine reports.
• Use a credit card that offers regular discounts, such as Target’s REDcard, or a cash-back credit card that rewards bonus cash for all of those trips you make to the supermarket to buy baby food and everything else.
• Buy “convertible” baby furniture that you’ll get more use out of, such as a crib that might easily be transformed into a toddler bed when the time comes.
• Don’t buy fancier, special-occasion clothes new. Instead, save by hitting a consignment shop for a teensy suit or dress that your little one might wear to an older cousin’s wedding or other family event -- and then never put on again.