What Could We Buy Instead?
War Cost So Far
$16.50B
+$15,914/sec ($1.38B/day)
FY2026 Defense Budget
$838.5B
The war cost is on top of this
Everyday Costs
School Lunch
Average cost to produce one free school lunch under NSLP
$4
4,330,708,661funded with the war budget
Source: USDA
Gallon of Gas
National average price per gallon of regular gasoline
$4
4,714,285,714funded with the war budget
Source: AAA
Doctor Visit
Average primary care office visit without insurance
$171
96,491,228funded with the war budget
Source: HCCI
Ambulance Ride
Average ground ambulance bill in the United States
$1,277
12,920,908funded with the war budget
Source: KFF
Year of Insulin
Annual out-of-pocket insulin cost for an uninsured diabetic
$6,000
2,750,000funded with the war budget
Source: KFF / RAND
Investing in People
Year of College (In-State)
Average in-state tuition and fees at a public 4-year institution
$11,371
1,451,059funded with the war budget
Source: College Board 2025-26
Teacher Salary (1 Year)
Average US public school teacher salary
$74,200
222,371funded with the war budget
Source: NEA 2025
Build a Public Library
Average cost to construct a new public library
$20.0M
825funded with the war budget
Source: ALA
Build an Elementary School
Average cost to construct a new elementary school
$40.0M
412funded with the war budget
Source: NCES
Building Things
Median Home
Median existing-home sale price in the US
$435,000
37,931funded with the war budget
Source: NAR Jan 2026
Public Playground
Average community playground construction cost
$500,000
33,000funded with the war budget
Source: NRPA
Fire Truck
Average cost of a new fire engine or ladder truck
$1.0M
16,500funded with the war budget
Source: NFPA
Build a Fire Station
Average new fire station construction cost
$8.0M
2,062funded with the war budget
Source: NFPA
Build a Hospital
Average cost to build a community hospital
$150.0M
110funded with the war budget
Source: AHA / RSMeans 2025
Policies They Say We "Can't Afford"
End Homelessness (1 Year)
Estimated annual cost to provide housing to every unhoused American
$20.00B
2.4%of the total annual US defense budget
Source: HUD / National Alliance to End Homelessness
Universal School Meals (1 Year)
Cost to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student nationwide
$21.00B
2.5%of the total annual US defense budget
Source: USDA NSLP estimates
Universal Pre-K (1 Year)
Annual cost of universal pre-K for all 3 and 4-year-olds
$35.10B
4.2%of the total annual US defense budget
Source: Penn Wharton Budget Model
Universal Childcare (1 Year)
Federal cost of universal childcare for ages 0-4
$70.00B
8.3%of the total annual US defense budget
Source: Moody's Analytics
Fund SNAP for a Year
Full annual budget for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
$101.70B
12.1%of the total annual US defense budget
Source: FY2025 federal budget
The Real Cost of War
Since February 27, 2026, the United States has spent $16.50B on its war with Iran. That is $1,375,000,000 every single day, or $15,914 every second.
That money could have paid the salaries of 222K teachers, built 110 hospitals, or provided 2.8M years of insulin to Americans who cannot afford it.
It could have ended homelessness in America for 0.8 years, funded universal pre-K for 0.5 years, and fed every student in America for 0.8 years, all at the same time, and there would still be billions left over.
They tell you universal childcare is too expensive. They tell you we cannot afford to feed every student in America. They tell you ending homelessness is a pipe dream. But somehow, there is always money for another war.
This does not even account for the $838.5 billion FY2026 defense budget, which continues to flow regardless of the war. The war spending is on top of that.