Cost of a Baby's First Year in Massachusetts
How much does a baby's first year cost in Massachusetts?
Plan on about $27,473 for a baby's first year in Massachusetts, roughly $2,289 a month, if your baby is in full-time paid care. That leaves Massachusetts about 44% above the median state. In Massachusetts, childcare is the giant in the room; everything else is the same national basket in every state. Here is the whole Massachusetts bill, piece by piece. Childcare takes about 68% of the Massachusetts total.
Plan on about $27,473 for a baby's first year in Massachusetts, roughly $2,289 a month, if your baby is in full-time paid care. That leaves Massachusetts about 44% above the median state. In Massachusetts, childcare is the giant in the room; everything else is the same national basket in every state. Here is the whole Massachusetts bill, piece by piece.
The Massachusetts first-year breakdown
| Cost | First year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Infant childcare (center, full time) | $18,668 | Massachusetts figure, federal data (2023 estimates). $1,556 a month. |
| Health care (pregnancy, delivery, postpartum) | $2,854 | National average out of pocket with employer insurance, Peterson-KFF. |
| Feeding (formula and first foods) | $1,981 | USDA low cost food plan for a one-year-old, $165.10 a month. |
| Gear, nursery and travel (one time) | $2,350 | Crib, mattress, car seat, stroller and the rest, mid-range. |
| Diapers, wipes and care supplies | $1,020 | About 2,500 diapers in year one, plus wipes, soap and creams. |
| Clothing | $600 | About $50 a month; babies cycle through five or more sizes. |
| Total first year | $27,473 | About $2,289 a month. |
Only the childcare line changes by state; for Massachusetts it is $18,668 a year. The rest is one national basket, so you can compare Massachusetts cleanly against other states and swap in your own quotes line by line.
Where the money goes in Massachusetts
Childcare takes about 68% of the Massachusetts total. Home-based infant care in Massachusetts runs $15,302 a year at the median, which would bring the first-year total down to $24,107. The one-time gear bill ($2,350) lands before the baby does in Massachusetts too, which is why starting a baby fund early, even a small one, changes how the first year feels. Our emergency fund calculator helps Massachusetts parents set that target, and the family budget planner shows where it fits in the monthly picture.
First year help for Massachusetts parents
A baby's first year in Massachusetts comes with support that can soften the biggest lines if you know where to look. WIC through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health helps pregnant and postpartum women and children under five with healthy foods, which takes pressure off the grocery bill while you are recovering and feeding a newborn. For the care line, Child Care Financial Assistance through the Department of Early Education and Care is the name to ask about when you are planning a return to work. If money gets especially tight, SNAP through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance provides nutrition assistance for the household, so food money does not have to be borrowed from the rent or the utility bill.
Compare the full price table on our Massachusetts childcare costs page. New to the choices in Massachusetts? Read childcare costs explained before you tour anywhere in Massachusetts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a baby's first year cost in Massachusetts?
About $27,473 in Massachusetts with full-time paid infant care, or $2,289 a month spread across the year. The biggest piece in Massachusetts is childcare at $18,668 a year (federal data (2023 estimates)). Without paid childcare, the same Massachusetts first year comes to about $8,805.
What is the biggest first-year cost in Massachusetts?
Childcare, by a wide margin in Massachusetts: $1,556 a month at a center, about 68% of the whole first-year total. In Massachusetts, health care for pregnancy and delivery is next at a national average of $2,854 out of pocket for families with employer insurance (Peterson-KFF).
What if we do not pay for childcare in Massachusetts?
Then budget about $8,805 for the Massachusetts first year: $2,854 in average out-of-pocket health care costs, $1,981 for feeding, $1,020 for diapers and care supplies, $2,350 of one-time gear, and $600 of clothing. Many Massachusetts families land between the two totals with part-time care or family help.
Where do these Massachusetts numbers come from?
The Massachusetts childcare figure is the US Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, the same federal figures used across this site. The other Massachusetts pieces are national averages: health care from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, feeding from the USDA low cost food plan for a one-year-old, and diapers, gear and clothing from Thrivent's published first-year cost ranges (midpoints). Every source behind the Massachusetts figures is listed at the bottom of this page.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: Maryland · Michigan
All states: cost of a baby's first year by state · Tools: Childcare cost calculator · Emergency fund calculator · Family budget planner
Sources for Massachusetts: Childcare: the US Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, the same federal figures used across this site, retrieved 2026-10-18. Health care for Massachusetts: Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, average out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care with employer insurance ($2,854). Feeding for Massachusetts: USDA Food Plans, low cost plan for a child age 1 (August 2026, $165.10 a month). Diapers, gear and clothing for Massachusetts: midpoints of the published first-year ranges in Thrivent, "Baby Costs in the First Year" (updated June 2026). Totals are planning estimates for Massachusetts, not quotes.