Average Child Care Costs in Each State — Where’s Yours on This List?

Looks like college isn’t the only thing parents should save for. Child Care Aware of America (CCAA) recently reported that the cost of child care has increased to the point where some families simply can’t afford it.

CCAA reported the cost of child care for infants, four-year-olds and school-age children, and found some unsettling statistics.  In 40 states and the District of Columbia, center-based infant care cost more than 10 percent of the state’s average income for a two-parent family. Imagine the damage that does on a single parent’s paycheck.

From a price-only perspective, the cost of full time care for an infant was over $10,000 per year in 20 states. Here’s the breakdown:

1. District of Columbia^ ($20,178)
2. Massachusetts ($14,980)
3. New York ($14,009)
4. Minnesota ($13,579)
5. Maryland ($12,878)
6. Hawaii ($12,876)
7. Connecticut ($12,844)
8. Colorado ($12, 621)
9. Illinois ($12,199)
10. New Hampshire ^^ ($11,995)
11. Rhode Island ($11,830)
12. California ^^ ($11,823)
13. New Jersey ($11,135)
14. Oregon ^ ($11,079)
15. Kansas ($11,023)
16. Washington ($10,920)
17. Wisconsin ($10,775)
18. Virginia ($10,670)
19. Pennsylvania^ ($10,504)
20. Michigan ($10,114)
21. Indiana ($9,880)
22. Delaware ($9,620)
23. Vermont^  ($9,612)
24. Alaska ($9,336)
25. Nevada ($9,413)
26. Maine ($9,256)
27. North Carolina^ ($9,185)
28. Arizona ($8,546)
29. Iowa^ ($8,859)
30. Missouri ($8,580)
31. Texas ($8,323)
32. Montana ($8,307)
33. Florida ($8,009)
34. Ohio ($7,889)
35. Utah ($7,848)
36. Wyoming ($7,727)
37. Tennessee ($7,748)
38. North Dakota ($7,705)
39. Nebraska ($7,639)
40. Oklahoma ($7,288)
41. Georgia ($7,030)
42. West Virginia ($6,932)
43. New Mexico ($6,843)
44. Kentucky ($6,594)
45. South Dakota ($5,947)
46. Louisiana ($5,901)
47. South Carolina ($5,855)
48. Idaho ($5,834)
49. Arkansas ($5,437)
50. Alabama ($5,356)
51. Mississippi ($4,591)

^= 2010 data, adjusted for inflation

^^= 2009 data, adjusted for inflation

Wow! At some of these prices, I’m wondering if the babies should be learning a foreign language and mastering the violin in between naps!

How does your actual day care cost compare to your state’s average cost? Was price a consideration when you were choosing a day care?