U.S. Parents Expect $885 Per Child for School Shopping as 68% See Higher Prices
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 31
U.S. Parents Expect $885 Per Child for School Shopping as 68% See Higher Prices
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 31
Summary
$885 per child is the average U.S. parents expect to spend for the 2026-27 school year, according to a GMA/Ipsos poll of 1,213 parents conducted July 28-30.
68% said the back-to-school items they usually buy cost more than a year ago, yet only 40% expect to spend more overall, while 46% plan to spend about the same.
$337 for after-school activities was the biggest spending category, followed by $275 for clothing and shoes, $118 for supplies, $102 for technology and $52 for books.
52% of parents earning under $50,000 expect to spend more, versus 34% of those above $100,000, while younger and non-college-educated parents also more often reported higher expected spending.
Retailers have already rolled out back-to-school promotions, but the poll suggests many families still expect a costly season as price pressures persist.