If you’ve scrolled through back-to-school headlines this summer, you’ve probably noticed the numbers don’t agree with each other. One survey says families are spending $557 per K-12 student. Another says $489. A third puts the number at $922. None of these researchers made a mistake — they’re just measuring different things, for different families, in different ways. And if you’re a Maryland parent trying to build a real budget for September, that gap matters.
Here’s what’s really going on with the numbers, what’s driving costs up, and how to budget around your family’s actual situation instead of a national average.
Why the Numbers Don’t Match
Three major surveys came out within weeks of each other this summer, and each one asked a slightly different question. Deloitte’s annual survey put spending at $557 per K-12 student, down slightly from last year, and found that once you adjust for inflation, families are actually planning to spend about 6% less than they did in 2025. That same survey found real economic caution behind the number: 57% of parents surveyed expect the economy to worsen in the next six months, the highest share Deloitte has recorded since 2020.
JLL’s retail-focused survey found something closer to the opposite: an average of $489 per child, up 11.7% from last year. And PwC’s consumer poll landed the highest of all, at $922 per family, a number that’s climbed sharply because it counts a wider basket of goods — including three out of four families spending at least $100 on clothing and shoes alone, more than double what the same families spend on traditional school supplies like notebooks and pens.
The takeaway isn’t that one survey is right. It’s that what counts as “back-to-school spending” varies a lot — some surveys count only supplies and clothing, others fold in electronics and tutoring. Your own budget matters more than the national average.
What’s Actually Driving Costs Up
Two categories show up across nearly every survey as the real budget-breakers. Clothing and footwear average around $278 per family, and technology — laptops, tablets, headphones — averages another $222. Together, that’s close to half of many families’ total spend, before a single notebook is purchased. PwC’s research also found students themselves are shaping more of these purchases than before, discovering products through social media and building wish lists that parents then have to work into the budget.
Worth naming what most headlines skip: back-to-school spending doesn’t stop on day one. PwC found parents expect an additional $635 a month in recurring costs once school starts — about $260 on fees like tutoring, and $235 on meals and snacks. A budget built only around the August shopping trip underestimates what September through June actually costs.
A Maryland-Specific Way to Save
Maryland families have one advantage most of the country doesn’t: Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week, running August 9 through August 15, 2026. During that week, qualifying clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less per item is exempt from Maryland’s 6% sales tax, with no limit on the number of items you can buy. The first $40 of a backpack’s purchase price is exempt too.
A few things trip people up every year: jewelry, handbags, watches, ties, scarves, and umbrellas don’t qualify, even though they might feel like “clothing.” Online purchases count too, as long as the order is placed and paid for during the exemption window. If clothing and shoes are already close to a quarter of your total back-to-school budget, timing those purchases to this week is one of the simplest ways to stretch your money further.
Building a Budget That Fits Your Family
Instead of anchoring to any single national number, try building your own from the categories that actually apply to your household:
- Clothing and shoes — and whether you can time purchases to Tax-Free Week
- Technology needs versus technology wants — does last year’s laptop still work?
- One-time supply costs versus the fees and activities that recur monthly
- What your family can realistically absorb without dipping into savings or credit
This is exactly the kind of planning CASH Campaign of Maryland’s free financial coaching is built for — not generic advice, but a budget built around your real numbers, your real family, and your real Maryland resources. If back-to-school season feels tight this year, our team is here to help you plan ahead of it, not just react to it
Sources
Deloitte, “2026 Back-to-School Survey” — finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/deloitte-back-school-spending-holds-120100126.html
JLL, “2026 Back-to-School Shopping Report” — jll.com/en-us/insights/back-to-school-2026-shopping-report
PwC, “US Consumer Poll on Back to School Spending” — pwc.com/us/en/industries/consumer-markets/library/backtoschool-spending.html
WWD, “Average Spend for Apparel, Shoes Back-to-school Is $278, Survey Says” (citing PwC) — wwd.com/footwear-news/shoe-industry-news/pwc-back-to-school-apparel-shoes-ai-survey-2026-1239027167
Maryland Comptroller’s Office, “2026 Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week” announcement — news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/maryland-comptroller-announces-2026-shop-maryland-tax-free-week
The BayNet, “When Is Maryland Tax-Free Week 2026? Everything You Need To Know” — thebaynet.com/when-is-maryland-tax-free-week-2026-everything-you-need-to-know
Need more help with budgeting or credit now that you’re earning a paycheck? Check out the Maryland CASH Academy for free classes that fit your vibe. https://cashmd.org/financial-education-classes/