In most states, only a small share of families can afford child care: Share of families able to afford center-based child care, by state, 2014
| State | Share of families able to afford infant care | Annual infant care cost | Income necessary to afford infant care | Total number of families | Number of families unable to afford infant care | Share of families able to afford 4-year-old care | Annual 4-year-old care cost | Income necessary to afford 4-year-old care | Number of families unable to afford 4-year-old care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 48.4% | $5,637 | $56,370 | 1,232,515 | 636,083 | 53.7% | $4,871 | $48,710 | 571,109 |
| Alaska | 35.5% | $10,957 | $109,570 | 165,015 | 106,417 | 53.5% | $7,652 | $76,520 | 76,663 |
| Arizona | 27.9% | $9,437 | $94,370 | 1,579,481 | 1,139,095 | 38.2% | $7,497 | $74,970 | 976,833 |
| Arkansas | 42.8% | $5,995 | $59,950 | 752,212 | 430,405 | 50.9% | $4,995 | $49,950 | 369,363 |
| California | 28.5% | $11,817 | $118,170 | 8,762,059 | 6,261,095 | 43.5% | $8,230 | $82,300 | 4,947,250 |
| Colorado | 22.6% | $13,154 | $131,540 | 1,315,283 | 1,017,666 | 34.9% | $9,882 | $98,820 | 855,942 |
| Connecticut | 28.1% | $13,880 | $138,800 | 887,263 | 638,385 | 37.6% | $11,502 | $115,020 | 553,704 |
| Delaware | 28.9% | $11,000 | $110,000 | 233,000 | 165,678 | 42.8% | $8,268 | $82,680 | 133,383 |
| Washington D.C. | 9.4 | $22,631 | $226,310 | 117,864 | 106,728 | 23.8% | $17,842 | $178,420 | 89,870 |
| Florida | 30.2% | $8,694 | $86,940 | 4,693,411 | 3,276,899 | 35.3% | $7,668 | $76,680 | 3,038,663 |
| Georgia | 37.7% | $7,644 | $76,440 | 2,426,392 | 1,511,827 | 45.4% | $6,500 | $65,000 | 1,323,794 |
| Hawaii | 47.3% | $8,280 | $82,800 | 314,151 | 165,521 | 41.0% | $9,312 | $93,120 | 185,437 |
| Idaho | 37.5% | $7,200 | $72,000 | 407,499 | 254,728 | 40.2% | $6,924 | $69,240 | 243,740 |
| Illinois | 22.3% | $12,964 | $129,640 | 3,099,184 | 2,408,277 | 35.0% | $9,567 | $95,670 | 2,013,603 |
| Indiana | 29.2% | $8,918 | $89,180 | 1,657,223 | 1,172,679 | 43.8% | $6,760 | $67,600 | 931,801 |
| Iowa | 30.0% | $9,485 | $94,850 | 801,562 | 560,861 | 38.9% | $8,216 | $82,160 | 490,045 |
| Kansas | 23.5% | $11,201 | $112,010 | 728,602 | 557,203 | 39.8% | $7,951 | $79,510 | 438,626 |
| Kentucky | 43.3% | $6,294 | $62,940 | 1,124,586 | 637,332 | 49.7% | $5,499 | $54,990 | 565,207 |
| Louisiana | 49.8% | $5,747 | $57,470 | 1,112,659 | 558,845 | 55.5% | $4,914 | $49,140 | 495,651 |
| Maine | 26.7% | $9,512 | $95,120 | 344,585 | 252,503 | 44.5% | $6,870 | $68,700 | 191,333 |
| Maryland | 27.7% | $13,932 | $139,320 | 1,445,972 | 1,045,936 | 48.9% | $9,100 | $91,000 | 739,057 |
| Massachusetts | 18.7% | $17,062 | $170,620 | 1,610,581 | 1,310,167 | 32.0% | $12,781 | $127,810 | 1,095,495 |
| Michigan | 26.0% | $9,882 | $98,820 | 2,485,159 | 1,838,890 | 45.4% | $6,764 | $67,640 | 1,357,822 |
| Minnesota | 17.8% | $14,366 | $143,660 | 1,369,594 | 1,125,417 | 31.0% | $11,119 | $111,190 | 944,628 |
| Mississippi | 50.2% | $4,822 | $48,220 | 738,463 | 360,339 | 59.2% | $3,997 | $39,970 | 301,661 |
| Missouri | 32.0% | $8,632 | $86,320 | 1,508,816 | 1,025,310 | 27.9% | $9,308 | $93,080 | 1,088,313 |
| Montana | 28.0% | $9,062 | $90,620 | 251,176 | 180,747 | 35.0% | $7,922 | $79,220 | 163,152 |
| Nebraska | 39.9% | $7,926 | $79,260 | 480,317 | 288,694 | 48.4% | $6,843 | $68,430 | 248,045 |
| Nevada | 23.8% | $9,852 | $98,520 | 642,461 | 489,647 | 34.4% | $8,118 | $81,180 | 421,504 |
| New Hampshire | 30.3% | $11,810 | $118,100 | 345,901 | 241,134 | 40.8% | $9,457 | $94,570 | 204,941 |
| New Jersey | 38.0% | $11,534 | $115,340 | 2,203,675 | 1,367,079 | 46.5% | $9,546 | $95,460 | 1,178,767 |
| New Mexico | 32.9% | $7,942 | $79,420 | 489,532 | 328,393 | 37.9% | $7,098 | $70,980 | 303,909 |
| New York | 20.3% | $14,144 | $141,440 | 4,621,954 | 3,681,435 | 28.4% | $11,700 | $117,000 | 3,307,405 |
| North Carolina | 26.7% | $9,255 | $92,550 | 2,492,048 | 1,826,395 | 35.9% | $7,592 | $75,920 | 1,596,596 |
| North Dakota | 44.6% | $8,217 | $82,170 | 187,800 | 104,037 | 49.5% | $7,511 | $75,110 | 94,867 |
| Ohio | 31.2% | $8,977 | $89,770 | 2,923,523 | 2,011,132 | 41.5% | $7,341 | $73,410 | 1,711,321 |
| Oklahoma | 42.1% | $6,788 | $67,880 | 966,516 | 559,684 | 56.6% | $5,123 | $51,230 | 419,601 |
| Oregon | 22.1% | $11,322 | $113,220 | 966,250 | 752,680 | 32.9% | $8,787 | $87,870 | 648,101 |
| Pennsylvania | 27.5% | $10,640 | $106,400 | 3,185,054 | 2,310,572 | 40.7% | $8,072 | $80,720 | 1,889,506 |
| Rhode Island | 21.9% | $12,867 | $128,670 | 257,165 | 200,888 | 32.2% | $10,040 | $100,400 | 174,337 |
| South Carolina | 43.0% | $6,475 | $64,750 | 1,201,616 | 684,782 | 57.7% | $4,651 | $46,510 | 507,920 |
| South Dakota | 57.7% | $5,661 | $56,610 | 211,235 | 89,310 | 65.8% | $4,804 | $48,040 | 72,348 |
| Tennessee | 47.2% | $5,857 | $58,570 | 1,660,344 | 876,697 | 59.1% | $4,515 | $45,150 | 679,033 |
| Texas | 34.7% | $8,759 | $87,590 | 6,407,165 | 4,184,224 | 47.2% | $6,730 | $67,300 | 3,384,004 |
| Utah | 37.4% | $8,641 | $86,410 | 691,495 | 432,893 | 52.8% | $6,612 | $66,120 | 326,081 |
| Vermont | 22.7% | $11,270 | $112,700 | 162,017 | 125,222 | 27.3% | $9,970 | $99,700 | 117,832 |
| Virginia | 35.6% | $10,458 | $104,580 | 2,058,820 | 1,325,316 | 48.7% | $7,957 | $79,570 | 1,056,282 |
| Washington | 24.0% | $12,733 | $127,330 | 1,725,099 | 1,311,543 | 36.3% | $9,588 | $95,880 | 1,099,260 |
| West Virginia | 28.5% | $7,926 | $79,260 | 472,869 | 337,939 | 45.0% | $5,813 | $58,130 | 260,002 |
| Wisconsin | 21.4% | $11,579 | $115,790 | 1,485,877 | 1,168,488 | 29.8% | $9,469 | $94,690 | 1,042,753 |
| Wyoming | 55.3% | $6,541 | $65,410 | 149,032 | 66,550 | 60.8% | $5,833 | $58,330 | 58,348 |
Note: Child care is considered affordable if it consumes 10 percent or less of a family's income.
Source: EPI analysis of CCAA (2014) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey