New Jersey Leads States in Per-Child Holiday Spending

A new study ranks New Jersey first among states for average Christmas gift spending per child, ahead of Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Spending

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a tapering stack of wrapped gift boxes in muted ochre, rose, and sage beside one open empty box. — New Jersey parents spend an average of $712 per child on Christmas gifts, the highest of any state, compared with a national average of $461. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you spend more on your children's Christmas gifts than you can comfortably afford?

New Jersey parents spend an average of $712 per child on Christmas gifts, the highest amount of any state in the study. The national average is $461 per child.

Why it matters

The ranking shows a wide gap between New Jersey and the national average, which may affect household holiday budgets for families in the state. High prices for everything in the Garden State may contribute to the ranking.

The study reports New Jersey at $712 per child, about $251 above the national average of $461. The extraction does not detail how spending was measured or which categories of gifts were included.

The players

Fox 6

Fox 6 is the television station that reported on the study's findings.

The details

The study ranked each state by the average amount residents spend on children at Christmas. Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts followed New Jersey in the rankings, with Texas at $659 and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts each at $648.

Christmas 2026: holiday gift spending on children measured in the study

Market Landscape

New Jersey's per-child spending of $712 sits about 54 percent above the study's national average of $461, placing it well ahead of Texas at $659 and the $648 figures for Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The spread shows how much holiday budgets for children can vary from one state to another.

Families in New Jersey who spend at the study's reported level may need to plan holiday budgets well above the national average. The ranking points to the cost pressure that high local prices can place on gift-giving.

The takeaway

Setting a per-child holiday budget early can help families avoid overspending when local prices run high. Comparing your planned spending against the national average can show whether your budget is in line with what peers are spending.