What does this childcare ranking show?

It orders states by Infant childcare / yr. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

EPI / Child Care Aware supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Money

Lowest childcare by state

Infant childcare / yr.

Center-based, 2023–24

How to read this ranking

Mississippi has the lowest published childcare in this comparison, at $6,868. The next states shown are Alabama ($7,871) and South Dakota ($8,680).

The table orders 51 states by infant childcare / yr. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Center-based, 2023–24

1Mississippi$6,868
2Alabama$7,871
3South Dakota$8,680
4Kentucky$8,756
5Arkansas$8,873
6Louisiana$8,873
7Kansas$9,105
8Wyoming$9,327
9Iowa$9,605
10Idaho$9,630
11West Virginia$9,692
12Michigan$10,023
13Texas$10,706
14South Carolina$11,512
15North Carolina$11,720
16Georgia$11,863
17Tennessee$12,249
18North Dakota$12,373
19Oklahoma$12,468
20Montana$12,778
21Florida$13,021
22Utah$13,094
23Missouri$13,173
24Maine$13,310
25Pennsylvania$13,354
26Nebraska$14,106
27New Mexico$14,244
28Virginia$14,277
29Indiana$14,471
30Arizona$15,625
31Nevada$15,950
32Illinois$16,107
33Delaware$16,220
34Rhode Island$16,758
35Wisconsin$16,956
36Ohio$17,071
37New York$17,361
38New Hampshire$17,364
39New Jersey$18,155
40Vermont$18,836
41Maryland$18,946
42Oregon$19,064
43Connecticut$20,254
44Washington$20,677
45Alaska$20,943
46Hawaii$21,167
47Colorado$21,840
48California$21,945
49Minnesota$22,569
50Massachusetts$26,709
51District of Columbia$28,356

Related money rankings

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These guides combine this measure with other clearly named inputs; they are not overall state verdicts.

States to consider for families →

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Infant childcare / yr. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: EPI / Child Care Aware. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/childcare" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Infant childcare / yr by state"></iframe>

Source: EPI / Child Care Aware. · How this is built

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