Methodology

Every figure here traces back to one public dataset. Here is how it is built.

The source

Prices come from the National Database of Childcare Prices, U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, the most comprehensive federal source of childcare prices, reported at the county level by care setting (center-based and family or home-based) and by child age. It is public and free. We use each state's latest available survey, which spans 2020 to 2022 across states.

From counties to states

The database prices are county-level medians. For each state we take its most recent survey year and combine its counties into one state figure, weighting each county by its population so that larger metros count for more. The federal data reports weekly prices; we multiply by 52 to show an annual cost, and divide by 12 for a monthly one.

Share of income, and the 7% line

The share-of-income figure is the annual price divided by that state's median family income, as a percent: share = annual price ÷ median family income × 100. Median family income comes from the same NDCP file, which draws it from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers childcare affordable at no more than 7% of family income. We also report how far each price clears that ceiling: multiple = share ÷ 7. Nationally, center-based infant care takes about 15.4% of the median family income, roughly 2.2 times the 7% line, and no state with data comes in under it. Both figures are included in the downloadable dataset.

Limits

These are estimates, not quotes. Real prices vary by provider, quality, hours and neighborhood, and can be higher than a county median in expensive areas. The federal file has no center-based infant price for Indiana or New Mexico, so those states are shown as no data. Figures reflect each state's latest survey and are not inflation-adjusted across years. We cover 49 states plus, where present, the District of Columbia.

Independent project, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor. Content is made with the help of AI tools and reviewed by a person before publishing.