Cost of a Baby's First Year in Tennessee
How much does a baby's first year cost in Tennessee?
Plan on about $16,579 for a baby's first year in Tennessee, roughly $1,382 a month, if your baby is in full-time paid care. That leaves Tennessee about 13% below the median state. In Tennessee, childcare is the giant in the room; everything else is the same national basket in every state. Here is the whole Tennessee bill, piece by piece. Childcare takes about 47% of the Tennessee total.
Plan on about $16,579 for a baby's first year in Tennessee, roughly $1,382 a month, if your baby is in full-time paid care. That leaves Tennessee about 13% below the median state. In Tennessee, childcare is the giant in the room; everything else is the same national basket in every state. Here is the whole Tennessee bill, piece by piece.
The Tennessee first-year breakdown
| Cost | First year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Infant childcare (center, full time) | $7,774 | Tennessee figure, federal data (2023 estimates). $648 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 | $16,579 | About $1,382 a month. |
Only the childcare line changes by state; for Tennessee it is $7,774 a year. The rest is one national basket, so you can compare Tennessee cleanly against other states and swap in your own quotes line by line.
Where the money goes in Tennessee
Childcare takes about 47% of the Tennessee total. Home-based infant care in Tennessee runs $5,968 a year at the median, which would bring the first-year total down to $14,773. The one-time gear bill ($2,350) lands before the baby does in Tennessee too, which is why starting a baby fund early, even a small one, changes how the first year feels. Our emergency fund calculator helps Tennessee parents set that target, and the family budget planner shows where it fits in the monthly picture.
Tennessee support for a baby's first twelve months
New parents in Tennessee should put WIC at the top of the first year checklist. The Tennessee Department of Health runs WIC for expectant and new mothers and for young children, and that support for food and feeding can matter most when sleep is short and grocery trips are rushed. When you start pricing care for a return to work, ask about the Child Care Certificate Program from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, the state's help toward childcare bills. That department also runs SNAP if household money gets very tight. Planning all three together, rather than discovering each one during a crisis month, gives a Tennessee baby budget a steadier first year.
Compare the full price table on our Tennessee childcare costs page. New to the choices in Tennessee? Read childcare costs explained before you tour anywhere in Tennessee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a baby's first year cost in Tennessee?
About $16,579 in Tennessee with full-time paid infant care, or $1,382 a month spread across the year. The biggest piece in Tennessee is childcare at $7,774 a year (federal data (2023 estimates)). Without paid childcare, the same Tennessee first year comes to about $8,805.
What is the biggest first-year cost in Tennessee?
Childcare, by a wide margin in Tennessee: $648 a month at a center, about 47% of the whole first-year total. In Tennessee, 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 Tennessee?
Then budget about $8,805 for the Tennessee 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 Tennessee families land between the two totals with part-time care or family help.
Where do these Tennessee numbers come from?
The Tennessee childcare figure is the US Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, the same federal figures used across this site. The other Tennessee 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 Tennessee figures is listed at the bottom of this page.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: South Dakota · Texas
All states: cost of a baby's first year by state · Tools: Childcare cost calculator · Emergency fund calculator · Family budget planner
Sources for Tennessee: 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 Tennessee: Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, average out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care with employer insurance ($2,854). Feeding for Tennessee: USDA Food Plans, low cost plan for a child age 1 (August 2026, $165.10 a month). Diapers, gear and clothing for Tennessee: midpoints of the published first-year ranges in Thrivent, "Baby Costs in the First Year" (updated June 2026). Totals are planning estimates for Tennessee, not quotes.