Child Care
Annual child care costs for a 4-year-old as a share of full-time, full-year minimum-wage earnings, by state
| State | Share of earnings needed to afford child care |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 39.7% |
| Alaska | 46.5% |
| Arizona | 44.7% |
| Arkansas | 32.4% |
| California | 44.2% |
| Colorado | 58.9% |
| Connecticut | 59.0% |
| Delaware | 42.9% |
| Washington D.C. | 80.9% |
| Florida | 40.5% |
| Georgia | 40.3% |
| Hawaii | 55.8% |
| Idaho | 43.2% |
| Illinois | 55.3% |
| Indiana | 43.7% |
| Iowa | 53.5% |
| Kansas | 51.6% |
| Kentucky | 40.4% |
| Louisiana | 33.1% |
| Maine | 54.5% |
| Maryland | 56.5% |
| Massachusetts | 67.2% |
| Michigan | 47.9% |
| Minnesota | 59.0% |
| Mississippi | 32.5% |
| Missouri | 39.0% |
| Montana | 47.6% |
| Nebraska | 47.9% |
| Nevada | 48.8% |
| New Hampshire | 65.2% |
| New Jersey | 55.9% |
| New Mexico | 45.0% |
| New York | 68.9% |
| North Carolina | 50.6% |
| North Dakota | 48.4% |
| Ohio | 39.3% |
| Oklahoma | 39.0% |
| Oregon | 45.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 59.1% |
| Rhode Island | 56.7% |
| South Carolina | 36.5% |
| South Dakota | 30.7% |
| Tennessee | 30.6% |
| Texas | 45.0% |
| Utah | 41.4% |
| Vermont | 54.0% |
| Virginia | 52.1% |
| Washington | 48.2% |
| West Virginia | 41.5% |
| Wisconsin | 63.0% |
| Wyoming | 53.6% |
Note: Earnings are calculated using state minimum wages and assuming the parent works 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
Source: EPI analysis of EPI Family Budget Calculator (Gould, Cooke, and Kimball 2015) and Minimum Wage Tracker (EPI 2015)
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