Cost of child care for one child can be more than rent in some US counties

WASHINGTON - The newly updated National Database of Childcare Pricesshows the price of child care for U.S. families is more than a month's rent for many, forcing parents with younger children to spend a significant portion of family income on these expenses, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today.

Sponsored by the department's Women's Bureau, the database includes county-level median prices for center- and home-based providers for children from ages 0 to 12.It covers prices from 2008 to 2022 in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, making it the most comprehensive public federal source of childcare prices at the county level.

The latest finding follows the addition of prices from 2019 to 2022 and an analysis of childcare prices in 2,512 U.S. counties.

"The fact that the median cost of center-based infant care is more than the median cost of rent should be of urgent concern," said Women's Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. "Families are struggling and women are disproportionately impacted. We know interventions like the American Rescue Plan have helped, but more federal investments are needed to ensure child care is accessible and affordable for all."

Nationwide, the NDCP finds families spend between 8.9 percent and 16 percent of their median income for full-day care for one child with 2022 annual prices ranging from $6,552 to $15,600. The counties where center infant prices demand the highest share of median family income include Stearns County, Minnesota; Bronx County, New York; Piute County, Utah; Essex County, Vermont; Grays Harbor and Wahkiakum counties in Washington; and Guanica County, Puerto Rico.

Explore the NDCP website to learn more.