Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt Laments Over How ‘Expensive’ It Is to Raise a Child

The hosts of Fox and Friends got real about the cost of raising a child in the United States on the April 14 episode of the morning show. Ainsley Earhardt began the segment by noting, “It’s expensive to raise a child.”

The host, who is engaged to Sean Hannity, then read the statistic that the cost of raising a child is up “nearly 30%” over the past three years. “It costs more than $300,ooo to raise a child in the U.S. noawadays,” Earhardt said.

Her cohost Lawrence Jones noted that “it’s all about where you live,” pointing out that Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts are the most expensive places to have children, with annual costs averaging $40,342, $36,419, and $34,247, respectively, in those states.

COSTS EXPLODE: It now costs over $303,000 to raise a child for 18 years—a staggering 27.8% spike since 2023. 📈

According to Lending Tree, annual costs vary wildly by state:

Most Expensive:
– Hawaii: $40,342
– Maryland: $36,419
– Massachusetts: $34,247

Least Expensive:
-… pic.twitter.com/BWWTJCUtjt

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) April 14, 2026

The cheapest states are Mississippi ($17,148 in average annual costs), Alabama ($18,019 in average annual costs), and South Dakota ($18,622 in average annual costs). Brian Kilmeade joked, “Keep track. They will pay you back if you just keep that invoice.”

Earhardt, who shares a daughter with ex-husband Will Proctor, then reiterated, “Gosh, everything is so expensive. And what happens when you have a child is you’re no longer buying things for yourself. Everything goes to that child and you think about them constnatly. It depends on if you’re doing public school or private school, depends on if you’re saving for college. All their clothes, school supplies, backpacks, it just adds up. All the sports. Sports are expensive. The uniforms you have to buy for the sports…”

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Kilmeade pointed out that this is the “bare minimum, they say, with money.” He then went on to outline what Donald Trump‘s Big Beautiful Bill provides help to parents who are raising children in the current economy, prompting Earhardt to conclude the segment by urging viewers to sign up for the Trump Account (tax-advantaged investment accounts for children).

“You have to sign up for it,” she said. “You have to go and sign your child up for it. It’s free money.”