Families Who Pay for Child Care Spend an Average of 17.8% of Their Income On It — Here’s Where It Costs Them the Most

from Lending Tree, Feb, 2023

It’s no secret that child care is expensive, and families trying to maintain a budget amid inflation are feeling the high costs particularly hard, especially in Hawaii. We found that families in Hawaii spend 20.8% of their income on child care — the 5th-highest nationwide.

My team at LendingTree analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to better understand child care spending across the U.S. We were able to uncover how much American families are spending on child care and where it’s costing families the most. Here’s a quick look at what we found: 

Families in Hawaii spend 20.8% of their income on child care. This is the 5th-highest percentage, nationwide. 

Hawaii families earn an average of $1,940 weekly and spend an average of $404 on child care. 

Families in Nevada spend the highest percentage of their income on child care. Nevada families spend 27.8% of their income on child care, on average. Families in Nevada spend an average of $419 a week on child care — the highest in the U.S.

Overall, U.S. families spend 17.8% of their income on child care, on average. These families, who earn an average of $1,650 weekly, spend $293 on child care.

48% of Hawaii families report paying for child care.

You can view the full study here: Where Child Care Costs Families the Most