Tooth fairy payouts dropped this year nationally, including in the Midwest
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Twin Cities kids banking on a big payout the under the pillow might be disappointed the next time the tooth fairy pays them a visit.
The big picture: For the first time since 2019, the tooth fairy is paying less for lost teeth than the year before, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes from a Delta Dental survey.
Zoom in: In the Midwest, the average value of a lost tooth dropped to $3.63 —$2 less than in 2023.
- The regional rate is also the lowest rate in the country.
Zoom out: The tooth fairy's national average gift value for a single lost tooth dropped 6% to $5.84 from $6.23 last year.
Yes, but: It's still the second highest value for a lost tooth and a 349% increase from 1998 when a lost tooth fetched $1.30 on average.
Between the lines: Delta Dental, which has tracked tooth fairy trends for 26 years, says in the past its poll has "typically mirrored the economy's overall direction" and tracked with S&P 500 trends.
The bottom line: This could be a sign that the tooth fairy's helpers — aka parents — are worn down from two years of high inflation.