Yesterday, we ran down the yearly costs of raising a child here in the state of Illinois, and we even compared those costs to our neighboring states (no big surprise that Illinois is more expensive than any of our bordering neighbors).

In that piece we looked at some information that pointed out Millennials as being the age group than owns the most pets, and the age group that actually prefers the idea of having dogs instead of children.

Why not both? (Getty Images)
Why not both? (Getty Images)
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With that in mind, I thought that today we would look at the annual cost of having a dog here in Illinois, and we could also compare those costs to what you'll shell out raising your kid.

One is substantially more affordable than the other, but you're going to paying out some decent money no matter what your decision, kids or dogs.

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When We Talk About The Costs Of Having A Dog In Illinois, We're Talking About Things Like Food And Veterinary Care, Not The Initial Price Of The Dog

Depending on what type or breed of dog you have, the initial (or, start-up) cost of the dog can vary significantly. According to Puppies.com, an online dog-lover's platform, these five dog breeds currently carry the highest price-tags:

  • Black Russian Terrier- Average price: $3,293.94
  • Lagotto Romagnolo-Average price: $2,685.81
  • English Bulldog-Average price: $2,579.29
  • French Bulldog-Average price: $2,554.85
  • Biewer Terrier-Average price: $2,155.62

The least expensive price-tags can be found at our local animal shelters. Depending on which shelter you visit, adoption fees can range from $150-$600, which leaves you more money for good food and toys. Adoption deals are especially good during "Clear the Shelter" events.

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Alright, Let's Break It Down For You--Here's What Having A Dog Will Cost You Annually In Illinois And Our Neighboring States, And We'll Compare That To What It Costs Per Year To Raise A Child

With a big shout-out to the people who crunched the numbers at ConsumerAffairs.com:

  • Illinois-Dog: $2,464/Child$16,843 (it would take 6.8 dogs to equal the cost of a child)
  • Wisconsin-Dog: $2,548/Child: $12,530 (4.9 dogs to equal the cost of a child)
  • Iowa-Dog: $2,408/Child: $14,052 (5.8 dogs to equal the cost of a child)
  • Indiana-Dog: $2,424/Child: $14,758 (6.1 dogs to equal the cost of a child)
  • Missouri-Dog: $2,339/Child: $15,297 (6.5 dogs to equal the cost of a child)
  • Kentucky-Dog: $2,608/Child: $9,533 (3.7 dogs to equal the cost of a child)

You can read the full ConsumerAffairs.com analysis here.

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Gallery Credit: Stacker

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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz