Child care is the biggest expense for many parents with young children, ahead of housing and food. Although the federal government provides some child care subsidies for low-income parents, the reality is that parents still pay a significant portion of their income for child care.
And the growing costs have put a tremendous strain on their budgets, especially for those with two or more children. In most states, the average cost of center-based infant care exceeds 30% of median income for single mothers. 1
Massachusetts is the most unaffordable state for single mother families, with full-time center-based infant care costing more than half of their income.
Affordability is a comparison of cost against state median income for a single mother family. State rankings do not include the District of Columbia.
Top 10 Least-Affordable States for Center-Based Infant Care in 2021 #
| STATE | Average Annual Cost | Cost of Care |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $21,269 | 60.4% |
| New York | $18,574 | 57.7% |
| Washington | $19,200 | 54.5% |
| Nebraska | $16,640 | 53.5% |
| California | $18,201 | 51.8% |
| Kansas | $15,089 | 50.0% |
| Illinois | $15,600 | 49.9% |
| Oregon | $15,786 | 49.7% |
| New Jersey | $17,460 | 49.6% |
| Minnesota | $17,056 | 48.1% |
The table above shows that the cost of child care as a percentage of their income is simply too high. In fact, in most states, one year of infant day care in a center is more expensive than a year of public college.
Even in less expensive states, single mothers likely couldn't afford the cost of child care at all. Not when they have to spend one third of their monthly income on child care expenses.
Tables below show the ranking of least affordable states for single mothers with a 4-year-old and a school-age child. The states were ranked from least affordable to most affordable, based on the cost of care compared to state median income for a single mother family.
Top 10 Least-Affordable States for Center-Based Care for a 4-Year-Old in 2021 #
| STATE | Average Annual Cost | Cost of Care |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $15,371 | 47.7% |
| Nebraska | $14,560 | 46.9% |
| Massachusetts | $15,768 | 44.7% |
| Vermont | $14,300 | 44.0% |
| West Virginia | $9,100 | 43.3% |
| New Jersey | $15,120 | 42.9% |
| Washington | $14,844 | 42.1% |
| Michigan | $11,315 | 40.3% |
| Connecticut | $13,416 | 39.1% |
| Montana | $10,400 | 38.1% |
New York's child care, averaging about $15,370 a year, is among the most expensive states to keep your 4-year-old kids in day care here. Nebraska is close behind.
Top 10 Least-Affordable States for a School-age Child in a Center in 2021 #
| STATE | Average Annual Cost | Cost of Care |
|---|---|---|
| California | $15,075 | 57.2% |
| South Carolina | $9,781 | 49.0% |
| New York | $11,144 | 46.2% |
| Wisconsin | $10,036 | 42.7% |
| West Virginia | $5,940 | 37.7% |
| Idaho | $6,762 | 32.8% |
| Kentucky | $5,460 | 29.5% |
| Washington | $7,668 | 29.0% |
| Texas | $6,444 | 28.4% |
California tops the least affordable list for before-/after-school care for a school-age child with 57.2% of the families’ income paying for child care. South Carolina, New York, Wisconsin, and West Virginia round out the top five.
References
- Child Care Aware®, 2021 Child Care Affordability Analysis. State rankings do not include the District of Columbia.