The going rate shifts a little by where you live — from about $5.27 in the Midwest to $6.45 in the Northeast. Here's the full picture.
| Region | Avg / tooth |
|---|---|
| Northeast · highest | $6.45 |
| West | $5.99 |
| South | $5.89 |
| Midwest · lowest | $5.27 |
| United States · national avg | $5.84 |
Two things worth knowing. First, the spread is real but small — every region lands within about a dollar of the national average, so wherever you are, you're not far off the pack. Second, these are averages of what parents report, not targets. They're here to make a 10pm decision easy, not to tell anyone what to pay.
Whatever your region's everyday average, a first tooth earns a premium — parents nationally leave about $7.17 for it. If tonight's the first one, start there. More on the first tooth →
Wherever you land, the amount matters less than what happens next. LumiJar turns tonight's coins into money habits — and remembers the fairy never forgets. Free to start.
LumiJarA money-and-healthy-teeth app for growing families, built by a periodontist and UCLA educator.