Press Release: 7/11/2025

Child care for two kids can cost more than a mortgage in 45 states

In quotes: child care for two kids can cost more than a mortgage in 45 states

Alyssa Haywoode

July 11, 2025

 

“Parents, you’re not imagining it: The cost of child care is rising. By a lot. 

“The average annual cost of care in 2024 was $13,128, a 29 percent increase since 2020 — outpacing even inflation. That’s according to an estimate from Child Care Aware, a national child care advocacy group that calculates average prices every year. 

“The rapid rise of child care costs is swallowing larger portions of families’ income. On average, a married couple earning the median annual income in their state is draining about 10 percent of their earnings on child care. A single parent spends 35 percent of their income on child care. 

“In some states, it’s a lot worse. For a married couple with an infant in center-based care, the most expensive states by share of median income are Hawaii (17.9 percent), California (16.3 percent), Maryland (15.8 percent), Oregon (15.5 percent) and Nebraska (15.1 percent). In those states, single parents earning the median income are paying about half their earnings on child care. 

“That means child care costs are rivaling home costs as the top line item in most family budgets. In 45 states and Washington, D.C., child care for two kids costs more than a mortgage. In 49 states and D.C., child care for two surpasses what families pay in rent.”

— “Paying more for child care than your mortgage? You’re not alone.” by Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th, June 23, 2025