Kids In Washington Cash In As Tooth Fairy Payments Jump

Tooth fairy payout is up in Washington state. 

Inflation in Washington state is impacting everything from gasoline to food prices, to the tooth fairy. It has been a long time since the tooth fairy visited me. The last time I remember having the tooth fairy come by and visit, I found a quarter under my pillow. My how times have changed. 

It's more than inflation

Reporting to axios.com,
‘The tooth fairy is brushing off two years of declines, paying an average of $5.84 per tooth — up 17% from last year, according to Delta Dental's 2026 Original Tooth Fairy Poll. For nearly three decades, tooth fairy payouts have doubled as a tiny economic indicator — and this year's 17% jump mirrors the broader market's gains, signaling renewed spending power under the pillow.’ 

Yikes, up 17%. That's way higher than our annual inflation rate. Over the last couple of years, the value of that tooth has actually dropped. In 2023, the average value of that tooth was about $6.23.  

The Tooth Fairy actually pays more or less depending on the area of the United States that he (or she) has to go to.  

In the northeast part of the United States, the Tooth Fairy is paying out $6.45 a tooth. That's up about 41% year over year. 

On the West Coast, the average is up to $5.99 for a tooth, up just 5%. 

The Midwest showed the biggest increase jumping up 52% to $5.27 per tooth. 

The southern part of the United States showed the most modest increase, about 3%. $5.89 per tooth. 

The biggest payout

There is one tooth in particular that gets the premium payout, and that is the first tooth. The national average is $7.17 for that tooth. It's worth 23% more than just a regular tooth. 

The one statistic that makes me a little bit sad is that one in three kids, that's about 32% of kids got something other than money as a reward for their teeth. That's just not fair. That's like being out trick or treating and having somebody give you an apple, 
“Gee, thanks Mr.” 
(Where is the soap?)