Parents aim to create a nurturing environment for their children. Raising a child, however, is not cheap, and to provide children with food, clothing, health care, and any other needs, most parents must work. Going to work entails leaving young children in the care of others, be it friends, neighbors, family members, or professional day care centers.

In most American counties, annual average child care costs exceed $6,000 per year, though it can be significantly higher in some places. In some American counties, child care costs are more than double that $6,000 figure. These places tend to be the most affluent in America.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator to determine the county with the most expensive child care in each state for a two-parent, single-child household.

Per family, child care costs largely depend on how much child care is required. “Over 11 million children under the age of five are in some type of child care arrangement each week. On average, these children spend 36 hours a week in child care,” said RaeAnn Pickett, senior manager of public relations for Child Care Aware of America, a child care advocacy group, in an email exchange with 24/7 Wall St.

If they can afford it, parents sometimes opt for more expensive child care providers that have amenities like high-quality education programs, CPR certification, or activities like yoga. For many parents, the cost of child care has influenced their career decisions. While all parents want the best for their children, those earning higher incomes are can pay more for what might be considered the very best care.

Click here to see the counties with the most expensive child care in every state.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

1. Alabama: Shelby County
> Major city: Birmingham
> Annual childcare cost: $5,957
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 8.3% (of $71,721)
> Median family income: $87,476

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2. Alaska: Fairbanks North Star Borough
> Major city: Fairbanks
> Annual childcare cost: $11,948
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.5% (of $95,399)
> Median family income: $90,759

3. Arizona: Coconino County
> Major city: Flagstaff
> Annual childcare cost: $8,949
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.3% (of $79,275)
> Median family income: $65,023

4. Arkansas: Saline County
> Major city: Little Rock
> Annual childcare cost: $5,835
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 9.3% (of $62,741)
> Median family income: $70,626

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5. California: San Mateo County
> Major city: San Francisco
> Annual childcare cost: $13,997
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 10.2% (of $137,553)
> Median family income: $117,300

6. Colorado: Douglas County
> Major city: Denver
> Annual childcare cost: $14,509
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.9% (of $97,162)
> Median family income: $121,483

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7. Connecticut: Fairfield County
> Major city: Bridgeport
> Annual childcare cost: $13,617
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.3% (of $94,957)
> Median family income: $109,592

8. Delaware: New Castle County
> Major city: Philadelphia
> Annual childcare cost: $9,071
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.7% (of $77,632)
> Median family income: $83,501

9. Florida: Broward County
> Major city: Fort Lauderdale
> Annual childcare cost: $8,423
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.3% (of $74,672)
> Median family income: $64,327

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10. Georgia: Chattahoochee County
> Major city: Columbus
> Annual childcare cost: $8,230
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.4% (of $72,446)
> Median family income: $48,815

11. Hawaii: Honolulu County
> Major city: Urban Honolulu
> Annual childcare cost: $9,376
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 9.8% (of $95,946)
> Median family income: $91,787

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12. Idaho: Ada County
> Major city: Boise City
> Annual childcare cost: $7,105
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 10.7% (of $66,247)
> Median family income: $74,411

13. Illinois: Kendall County
> Major city: Aurora
> Annual childcare cost: $11,736
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.5% (of $80,907)
> Median family income: $95,116

14. Indiana: Hamilton County
> Major city: Indianapolis
> Annual childcare cost: $11,213
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.9% (of $75,052)
> Median family income: $106,811

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15. Iowa: Johnson County
> Major city: Iowa City
> Annual childcare cost: $9,962
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.4% (of $74,207)
> Median family income: $87,917

16. Kansas: Riley County
> Major city: Manhattan
> Annual childcare cost: $10,088
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.4% (of $75,474)
> Median family income: $67,489

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17. Kentucky: Boone County
> Major city: Cincinnati
> Annual childcare cost: $7,395
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.0% (of $67,257)
> Median family income: $82,589

18. Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish
> Major city: New Orleans
> Annual childcare cost: $6,436
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 9.3% (of $69,417)
> Median family income: $77,240

19. Maine: Cumberland County
> Major city: Portland
> Annual childcare cost: $8,857
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.2% (of $79,094)
> Median family income: $82,457

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20. Maryland: Montgomery County
> Major city: Washington
> Annual childcare cost: $11,474
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.8% (of $89,830)
> Median family income: $121,490

21. Massachusetts: Norfolk County
> Major city: Boston
> Annual childcare cost: $16,255
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 16.9% (of $96,305)
> Median family income: $116,716

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22. Michigan: Washtenaw County
> Major city: Ann Arbor
> Annual childcare cost: $8,744
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.4% (of $70,357)
> Median family income: $92,098

23. Minnesota: Washington County
> Major city: Minneapolis
> Annual childcare cost: $14,473
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 16.6% (of $86,963)
> Median family income: $103,791

24. Mississippi: DeSoto County
> Major city: Memphis
> Annual childcare cost: $5,322
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 8.5% (of $62,719)
> Median family income: $71,296

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25. Missouri: St. Charles County
> Major city: St. Louis
> Annual childcare cost: $7,665
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.3% (of $67,891)
> Median family income: $90,514

26. Montana: Missoula County
> Major city: Missoula
> Annual childcare cost: $8,823
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.4% (of $70,925)
> Median family income: $68,410

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27. Nebraska: Sarpy County
> Major city: Omaha
> Annual childcare cost: $9,167
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.1% (of $70,246)
> Median family income: $85,873

28. Nevada: Washoe County
> Major city: Reno
> Annual childcare cost: $9,122
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.5% (of $67,792)
> Median family income: $69,744

29. New Hampshire: Rockingham County
> Major city: Boston
> Annual childcare cost: $10,297
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.9% (of $74,223)
> Median family income: $101,971

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30. New Jersey: Somerset County
> Major city: Middlesex
> Annual childcare cost: $11,732
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.8% (of $91,639)
> Median family income: $125,756

31. New Mexico: Sandoval County
> Major city: Albuquerque
> Annual childcare cost: $9,319
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.3% (of $70,263)
> Median family income: $70,175

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32. New York: New York County
> Major city: New York
> Annual childcare cost: $14,930
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.6% (of $102,297)
> Median family income: $96,058

33. North Carolina: Wake County
> Major city: Raleigh
> Annual childcare cost: $9,430
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.2% (of $77,033)
> Median family income: $90,158

34. North Dakota: Grand Forks County
> Major city: Grand Forks
> Annual childcare cost: $8,780
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.1% (of $67,203)
> Median family income: $74,132

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35. Ohio: Warren County
> Major city: Cincinnati
> Annual childcare cost: $9,556
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.9% (of $68,790)
> Median family income: $93,557

36. Oklahoma: Canadian County
> Major city: Oklahoma City
> Annual childcare cost: $7,223
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 10.3% (of $70,467)
> Median family income: $77,619

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37. Oregon: Washington County
> Major city: Portland
> Annual childcare cost: $11,104
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.5% (of $82,276)
> Median family income: $83,629

38. Pennsylvania: Chester County
> Major city: Philadelphia
> Annual childcare cost: $11,415
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.5% (of $84,808)
> Median family income: $110,974

39. Rhode Island: Newport County
> Major city: Providence
> Annual childcare cost: $11,497
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 14.6% (of $78,534)
> Median family income: $93,942

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40. South Carolina: Beaufort County
> Major city: Hilton Head Island
> Annual childcare cost: $6,786
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 9.3% (of $72,991)
> Median family income: $71,044

41. South Dakota: Pennington County
> Major city: Rapid City
> Annual childcare cost: $7,154
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 10.6% (of $67,350)
> Median family income: $66,214

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42. Tennessee: Williamson County
> Major city: Nashville
> Annual childcare cost: $9,890
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.4% (of $79,632)
> Median family income: $114,949

43. Texas: Fort Bend County
> Major city: Houston
> Annual childcare cost: $8,508
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.4% (of $74,500)
> Median family income: $103,638

44. Utah: Summit County
> Major city: Salt Lake City
> Annual childcare cost: $8,721
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.3% (of $77,413)
> Median family income: $105,548

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45. Vermont: Chittenden County
> Major city: Burlington
> Annual childcare cost: $12,342
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.2% (of $93,423)
> Median family income: $90,933

46. Virginia: Arlington County
> Major city: Washington D.C.
> Annual childcare cost: $12,888
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 13.5% (of $95,468)
> Median family income: $150,294

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47. Washington: King County
> Major city: Seattle
> Annual childcare cost: $12,255
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 15.0% (of $81,959)
> Median family income: $102,799

48. West Virginia: Berkeley County
> Major city: Martinsburg
> Annual childcare cost: $8,812
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 12.3% (of $71,695)
> Median family income: $67,526

49. Wisconsin: Dane County
> Major city: Madison
> Annual childcare cost: $11,957
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 16.2% (of $73,754)
> Median family income: $89,231

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50. Wyoming: Teton County
> Major city: Jackson
> Annual childcare cost: $9,753
> Child care as pct. of total expenses: 11.5% (of $84,644)
> Median family income: $98,157

Detailed findings & methodology:

According to the Center for American Progress, most of the cost of child care goes to paying the salaries of the child care workers. It can take several trained, experienced workers to supervise children. Between 9%-14% of child care costs go to paying rent and maintaining the space, and about 16% go to office and administrative costs like supplies, bills, and fees associated with owning and operating a child care facility.

Children who receive high quality care early in their lives are more likely to do well in grade school — and ultimately more likely to graduate from college, earn higher incomes, and less likely to be charged with an offense.

However, the most expensive levels of child care is not available to all parents. Many parents who are less wealthy cannot afford more competitive child care options. This burden becomes even greater for single parents, who lack the support and financial stability that a second parent often provides.

With just one source of income, single parents — often mothers — bear a greater burden for child care. “Single parents pay 36 percent of their incomes on child care, compared with 10 percent of incomes for married couples,” said Pickett. Often, one of the parents in a two-parent household can leave their job or reduce their hours to spend more time with their child, thus saving some or all of the cost of child care.

Among similar wealthy countries, parents in the United States spend a relatively high amount on child care — averaging about 25.6% of their overall income. Child care takes up a larger share of a family’s income only in New Zealand, Ireland, and the U.K. Parents in many European countries spend less than 5% of their incomes on child care. In South Korea, child care is totally paid for by the government.

There is a correlation between the price of child care per month in an area and that area’s median family income. Those with high incomes can afford top quality child care and not worry about cost.

Though Washington D.C. does not appear on the list since it is not technically in a state, the area has the highest child care cost in the United States at $18,712 per child a year. The area with the next highest child care costs is Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with an average annual child care cost of $16,255.

To identify the counties with the most and least expensive child care in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the estimated monthly cost of child care for two parents with a single child for 2018, from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator. Data on population, median household income, and poverty rate are from the U.S Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2017. The major city listed for every county refers to a nearby major city where many people in the county may work or visit. The city is not necessarily in the county listed.

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