By Tara Kalwarski/Charts by Ray Vella

The country's growing, and costly, cohort of kids

Children under the age of 15 make up just 20% of the U.S. population. Still, the country’s fertility rate ensures that the population will continue to grow, boosting school enroll- ment through 2016. Even low-income families spend about $150,000 to raise each child—not counting college tuition.