Investopedia’s analysis puts the lifetime cost of a collection of common household goals at $5.32 million in 2026, up more than $208,000 from $5.11 million in 2025. The 4.1% increase exceeded the 3.1% growth in private-sector wages and salaries over the 12 months through June, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited in the report.
The estimate includes homeownership, raising children and college, retirement, transportation, health care, vacations, pets and a wedding. It is an estimate based on specified assumptions, not a measure of what every household will spend.
Homeownership had the largest dollar increase among the categories cited: its estimated lifetime cost rose 7.7%, from $1.184 million to $1.275 million. The calculation assumes a $420,000 median-priced single-family home, a 20% down payment and a 30-year mortgage at 6.32%. It also includes insurance, property taxes, upkeep and utilities.
The combined estimated cost of raising children and paying for college rose 8.9%, from $876,092 to $953,763. Other categories increased more modestly: retirement costs were estimated at $1.205 million, while two new cars and their associated expenses came to about $1.206 million. The report estimated health care costs at $413,271, down 0.2% from the previous year.
Investopedia’s income comparison found that a full-time worker with a bachelor’s degree could earn about $3.6 million between ages 25 and 64, before taxes. Adding 20 years of average Social Security benefits raised the estimate to about $4.1 million—still below the analysis’s $5.32 million cost figure. These comparisons depend on the report’s assumptions and do not describe every worker’s earnings or benefits.
