Dc daycare costs: D.C. is the most expensive place in the U.S. for child care
DC is most expensive place in US for child care, survey finds
As child care costs rise in the U.S., a Care.com survey of 3,003 adults finds that D.C. is the most expensive place for child care.
The survey found that the average weekly rate for a nanny in the District is $855, and that’s 23% above the national average. The weekly average for day care is $419, which is 85% above the national average.
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Maryland is eighth on the list of most expensive states for day care.
Here are the top 10 most expensive states for day care.
| State | Weekly Rate | $ Above National Avg | % Above National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. District of Columbia | $419 | $193 | 85% |
| 2. |
$324 | $98 | 44% |
| 3. Washington | $304 | $78 | 34% |
| 4. California | $286 | $60 | 26% |
| 5. Connecticut | $258 | $33 | 14% |
| 6. New York | $258 | $32 | 14% |
| 7. Arkansas | $255 | $29 | 13% |
| 8. Maryland | $254 | $28 | 12% |
| 9. Colorado | $254 | $28 | 12% |
| 10. Oregon | $249 | $23 | 10% |
Child care has been more expensive over the past year for 63% of parents surveyed, and 59% said they’re more concerned about the cost of child care than in years prior.
Fifty-one percent of parents said they spend more than 20% of their household income on child care. However, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, child care is affordable when it costs families no more than 7% of their household income.
The survey cites the pandemic and economic struggles as two reasons child care costs have increased. It also said nearly 9,000 day cares closed in 37 states between December 2019 and March 2021.
But even before those centers closed, D.C. was the most expensive place for child care costs in 2019.
The survey also finds that more than half of families (58%) plan to spend more than $10,000 on child care this year, which is more than the average annual cost of in-state college tuition ($9,349) according to EducationData.org.
The survey said families are cutting back on vacations and travel, in addition to food, dining and clothing because of these high child care prices. It also finds that many parents are considering taking on a second job, reducing their hours at work or leaving the workforce entirely.
The survey includes tips on saving money on child care, such as finding the best care for your budget, discussing care benefits with your employer, setting aside pretax dollars to pay for care and making the most of tax breaks and benefits
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Kids & Family
The District of Columbia topped the list of most expensive places for infant care in the United States, according to a new economic study.
Elizabeth Janney, Patch Staff
|
The cost of child care in the District of Columbia is the highest in the nation, according to the Economic Policy Institute. (Shutterstock)
WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. is the most expensive place in the country for those seeking child care, according to new research from the Economic Policy Institute. Those who have two kids requiring child care will spend more than half their household income on it in the District.
Parents in D.C. shell out a whopping $24,243 for infant care on average every year, based on the latest research from the institute. That breaks down to $2,020 each month, or the equivalent for some of a second mortgage payment.
Infant care is 321 percent more expensive than in-state tuition at a four-year public college in D.
C., which is $5,756, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank that analyzes workers and economic policies.
Find out what’s happening in Washington DCwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
D.C. residents are not alone in this reality, as parents in more than half the country are paying more for child care than it costs to go to a public college in their state, the institute reported.
Child care is considered affordable if it takes up no more than 7 percent of a family’s income, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Find out what’s happening in Washington DCwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
By those standards, infant care is only affordable for 7.9 percent of D.C. families.
Infant care for one child eats up 28.6 percent of a median family’s income in D.C., according to the Economic Policy Institute.
While the average cost of care for an infant is more than $24,000 annually in D.C., care for a 4-year-old is $19,112, or $1,593 per month, according to the institute’s calculations.
That means child care for an infant and a 4-year-old would require 51.1 percent of household income, costing $43,355.
The institute suggests certain solutions for lowering the costs of child care, including capping child-care expenses at 7 percent of a family’s income.
That would save a typical family in D.C. $17,724.
There is a child care subsidy program in D.C.that is federally funded and based in part on income, with a sliding scale co-payment.
Here’s where infant care is most expensive, according to the study:
- Washington, D.C.
- Massachusetts
- California
- Minnesota
- Connecticut
- New York
- Maryland
- Colorado
- Washington
- Virginia
See the report on the cost of child care from the Economic Policy Institute.
— By Patch editors Feroze Dhanoa and Elizabeth Janney
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