Tooth Fairy paying more to kids
NEW YORK - Good news kids, the "Tooth Fairy" is getting more generous.
The average monetary payout is up 30 cents according to a new national survey.
According to the Original Tooth Fairy Poll, the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift is now $4.03 for a lost tooth.
Delta Dental has been gauging the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving trends for more than two decades.
Back in 1998, the value of a lost tooth was only $1.30, which equates to about $2.00 today with inflation.
The poll has typically served as an indicator of the economy's overall direction, often tracking with the movement of S&P 500.
Kids in the Northeast see the biggest return for their teeth. Kids in the Midwest see the least.
Here are the numbers:
$4.35 – The Northeast: Leads U.S. regions in the highest average monetary gift for a lost tooth, outranking The West, which led the previous two years in a row.
$4.01 – The South: Tracks most closely to the overall U.S. average.
$3.97 – The West: Decreased 22 cents, moving from the highest regional average last year to third regional average this year.
$3.71 – The Midwest: Increased 74 cents over last year but remains lower than the national average for the second year in a row.