The Cost of Child Care for Single Parents
The cost of child care can be unaffordable for many low-income families, especially single parents. Child Care Aware of America, a project of the Office of Child Care in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, surveyed Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) State Network offices and local CCR&Rs to determine the average cost of child care for families across the United States, depending on the type of care and the age of the child. The following graph highlights the average cost of full-time center-based child care for infants in 2015 compared to the median income of single parents in each state, using data from the 2014 American Community Survey.
| State | Median Annual Income for Single Parents+ | Average Annual Cost of Full-time Center-based Child Care for an Infant++ | Annual Cost of Care as Percentage of Income |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | $18,514.00 | $5,644.00 | 30.50% |
Alaska | $31,724.00 | $11,700.00 | 36.90% |
Arizona | $24,897.00 | $9,993.00 | 40.10% |
Arkansas | $20,388.00 | $6,074.00 | 29.80% |
California | $26,482.00 | $13,343.00 | 50.40% |
Colorado | $30,398.00 | $14,950.00 | 49.20% |
Connecticut | $29,934.00 | $14,079.00 | 47.00% |
Delaware | $30,756.00 | $10,396.00 | 33.80% |
District of Columbia | $25,194.00 | $22,658.00 | 89.90% |
Florida | $24,463.00 | $8,719.00 | 35.60% |
Georgia | $23,043.00 | $7,597.00 | 33.00% |
Hawaii | $30,001.00 | $13,584.00 | 45.30% |
Idaho | $22,281.00 | $7,385.00 | 33.10% |
Illinois | $24,528.00 | $13,176.00 | 53.70% |
Indiana | $22,259.00 | $8,929.00 | 40.10% |
Iowa | $24,335.00 | $10,015.00 | 41.20% |
Kansas | $23,662.00 | $11,482.00 | 48.50% |
Kentucky | $19,230.00 | $7,800.00 | 40.60% |
Louisiana | $20,644.00 | $5,754.00 | 27.90% |
Maine | $21,887.00 | $9,677.00 | 44.20% |
Maryland | $36,565.00 | $14,726.00 | 40.30% |
Massachusetts | $27,853.00 | $17,082.00 | 61.30% |
Michigan | $21,325.00 | $10,178.00 | 47.70% |
Minnesota | $27,093.00 | $14,826.00 | 54.70% |
Mississippi | $20,287.00 | $5,045.00 | 24.90% |
Missouri | $22,663.00 | $9,100.00 | 40.20% |
Montana | $19,987.00 | $9,383.00 | 46.90% |
Nebraska | $25,188.00 | $9,043.00 | 35.90% |
Nevada | $28,573.00 | $10,317.00 | 36.10% |
New Hampshire | $30,164.00 | $12,399.00 | 41.10% |
New Jersey | $30,933.00 | $11,548.00 | 37.30% |
New Mexico | $20,418.00 | $7,802.00 | 38.20% |
New York | $25,946.00 | $14,144.00 | 54.50% |
North Carolina | $22,831.00 | $9,254.00 | 40.50% |
North Dakota | $21,794.00 | $8,431.00 | 38.70% |
Ohio | $21,380.00 | $8,985.00 | 42.00% |
Oklahoma | $21,723.00 | $6,572.00 | 30.30% |
Oregon | $22,676.00 | $11,964.00 | 52.80% |
Pennsylvania | $24,650.00 | $11,978.00 | 48.60% |
Rhode Island | $25,798.00 | $12,882.00 | 49.90% |
South Carolina | $20,562.00 | $6,483.00 | 31.50% |
South Dakota | $25,159.00 | $6,143.00 | 24.40% |
Tennessee | $20,322.00 | $8,378.00 | 41.20% |
Texas | $23,892.00 | $9,207.00 | 38.50% |
Utah | $27,293.00 | $9,183.00 | 33.70% |
Vermont | $24,346.00 | $11,513.00 | 47.30% |
Virginia | $26,732.00 | $12,220.00 | 45.70% |
Washington | $26,044.00 | $13,110.00 | 50.30% |
West Virginia | $17,102.00 | $8,580.00 | 50.20% |
Wisconsin | $23,633.00 | $11,750.00 | 49.70% |
Wyoming | $23,453.00 | $9,110.00 | 38.80% |
Source: Child Care Aware of America, Parents and the High Cost of Child Care 2016 Appendices;