New Study: Where Kids Ask for the Most Expensive Toys and Games

From newly released gaming consoles and technology to exclusive collectibles and LEGO sets, there are many items for sale these days that easily capture children’s attention. While this certainly makes it easier for parents to find a gift that will unleash excitement on Christmas morning, many price tags on these gifts have parents budgeting a bit more.

At Solitaired, we know all about gaming and some of the tech gifts that may be contributing to the expensive gift lists parents are receiving from their children. That’s why we set out to learn where parents are being handed the priciest wish list this holiday season.

We surveyed parents in every state to learn what items their children are asking for this year and how their tastes have changed in recent years, concerning cost. Read on to learn which state is home to the most expensive toy requests in 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Kids in Connecticut, Florida, and Kentucky are the most likely to ask for expensive toys for Christmas.
• Kids in North Carolina, Idaho, and New York are the least likely to ask for expensive toys for Christmas.
• The average cost of the most expensive gift on children's wish lists in 2024 is $434.
• More than two-fifths of parents say their child's taste in toys this year is very expensive.
• The average parent in the U.S. plans to spend $523 on gifts for each child this holiday season.
• 79% of Americans say their children's wish lists have gotten more expensive in recent years.

The States Where Children Have the Most Expensive Taste in Holiday Gifts

While not every child has found their way to the pricey sections of stores, many kids have stacked their wish lists full of the most expensive items. Leading the way with the priciest wish lists on average are kids in Connecticut, with the average list costing parents $1,625. Overall, 1 in 4 parents in the state say their child has a gift on their list priced at $500 or more.

Florida is up next on the list with wish list prices averaging $1,554. This may be why 3 in 4 parents in the Sunshine State say they usually go over budget when holiday shopping for their kids. Kentucky ranks third with an average spend of $1,552 expected by children. Nearly 1 in 6 parents in the state say fashion and style items like designer clothing are the most expensive items on their child’s wish list.

Not all children reach for the stars with their gift lists; however, kids in North Carolina rank as the least likely to ask for expensive items. If parents in the state bought everything on their child’s wish list, they’d stay under $1,000 only spending about $846 on average. While this still is not a cheap spend, for parents in Connecticut who are expected to spend nearly double, it may appear much more humble.

Idaho ranks second for the least expensive gift lists this year at $850 on average. This explains why nearly a third of parents in the state consider their child’s taste in toys this year to be very modest. New York is up next, ranking third with an average spend of $861 expected from children.

Overall, 79% of Americans say their children’s wish lists have gotten more expensive in recent years. Additionally, parents in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut are the most likely to consider their child’s taste in gifts this year to be very expensive.

How Much Parents Are Expecting to Spend This Holiday Season

After analyzing how much children are expecting their parents to spend this holiday season, we decided to learn more about how much parents are actually budgeting for. Leading the way for the most money spent per child this year is Florida, where parents are expecting to spend $770 on average. Overall, Florida parents are the most likely to say their child’s taste in gifts is much more expensive than that of other children they know.

Coming in second with an average budget of $728 per child is Ohio, followed closely by Alabama at $716 in third. While these are the estimated budgets, Alabama parents are the most likely to go over budget when holiday shopping for their kids, with 55% spending at least $100 more than planned.

While many factors go into deciding the amount of money spent on holiday gifts, we discovered that divorced or separated parents plan to spend more money on their kids’ gifts than married Americans. Similarly, families with 6 or more children are more likely than smaller families to report kids asking for expensive toys.

The Most Desired Expensive Gifts on Children’s Wish Lists

So what could children be asking for that would lead to wish lists getting so expensive? We asked parents what item on their child’s list was the most expensive. Overall, we found the average cost of the most expensive item is $434.

Up first with the most expensive item on average is West Virginia where children are asking for items that average about $588. Louisiana is up next with a total cost of $526, followed by Michigan in third with the priciest item costing parents about $523 on average. In general, 1 in 4 Americans say their child has an item on their list priced at $500 or more this year.

We found the most common items sending wish list prices through the roof are tech, transportation, fashion, and entertainment items. This includes TVs, laptops, cell phones, gaming consoles, video games, and more.

In addition to the price of the most expensive item on children’s wish list, we asked parents to share the specific gift their child is asking for this holiday season. While we discovered a great deal of variety among gift requests, we found several repeats. For example, many children are asking their parents for the Barbie Dreamhouse, a new iPhone, a PlayStation 5, a Dyson Airwrap, and an Xbox Series X.

We also discovered several interesting requests and decided to highlight those as well. Some children are thinking past the holidays and asking for a vacation. Several parents reported that their children are asking for tickets to Disneyland, a trip to Disney World, and even some to other parts of the world, like Germany and Paris.

It came as no surprise to our team that some children are asking for Taylor Swift concert tickets this holiday season. The Eras Tour will come to an end on December 8th, so parents will have to keep an eye out for future concert announcements to check this request off their child’s wish list.

Unwind with Solitaired This Holiday Season

While the holidays can be a blissful time, shopping for them can prove to be quite stressful. From finding the perfect gift for all of your loved ones to budgeting for all the extra spending, it can be a lot for any person to take on.

At Solitaired, we know just how important peace of mind can be. So if you find yourself seeking an escape from all the planning and spending, try diving into an online game. From Double FreeCell and Canfield Solitaire to Hearts and Spades, there is no shortage of games to keep you entertained while waiting in long checkout lines or simply unwinding on the couch after wrapping many gifts.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to learn where children ask for the most expensive toys during the holidays. To do this, we surveyed parents in each state to learn about their children's wish list. We asked respondents how much the most expensive gift on their child's list cost, along with what that item is.

We also asked how much parents would spend if they bought everything on their child's wish list, their overall thoughts on their child's requests, and how their taste in toys has changed in recent years. Using these responses, we awarded points to answers that represented expensive requests and then calculated the average score for each person. We then calculated the average score by state, based on residents' scores, and adjusted those on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most expensive tastes.