Comments on: Average Child Care Costs In Each State — Where’s Yours On This List?

By: Stephy

Stephy — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:28:22 +0000

I live right outside Chicago and ours rakes in at almost 18,500 for the year, for one child. Thankfully I work in the building so I get a 50% discount (or our son wouldn’t be here) but everything you would feel safe sending your child to in this area costs that much. The central and downstate prices must bring down the averages. It’s so bad, we won’t be able tyo afford another child until my son is in K!

By: mconnery

mconnery — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:21:06 +0000

I work at daycare in Alaska that is more on the high end. The average seems about right.Parents at our center pay 800 a month for full time nursery care. I didn’t think I would be able to send my own child there, but if you work there you pay half-priceand they accept the childcare assistance program in our state so I am basically watching my own child and get payed to do it!

By: Demlerk

Demlerk — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:45:33 +0000

I was going to say the same thing! I live in the Bay Area as well, and will pay over 25k this year for daycare for one baby. I expected California to be the most expensive! I wonder where this average came from? I would love to pay half what I am paying now.:)

By: rmjacobson

rmjacobson — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:41:52 +0000

Nevada: we live in Vegas/Henderson. KinderCare was close to $780 a month for 5 hours a day including meals. We ended up putting out child in the Goddard school which had better care in our opinion, for Half time at $777 including snacks. They have a great educational program and offered us more flexibility than other day cares. They’re highly recommended in our area by many parents. I don’t know of anyone who pays the average state amount for full time care in Vegas.
Nannies are even more. Inexperienced nannies run $10/hr. experienced nannies are $15/hr to $20/hr.
These rates are for one child.

By: kate

kate — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:46:12 +0000

In San Diego, CA we are paying $15,000 per year per child at a daycare center. We have 2 kids at the same daycare center so we get a break on the second one but not much. Our total bill for 2 kids is over $27,000 per year on daycare.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:16:34 +0000

The $13,000 I pay for my 1 year old here in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia area) is worth every penny to me! I was a little reluctant to place her in a daycare at first, but seeing how she has grown because of the educational program (yes, they have a curriculim for infants!) and social interaction at this place makes me feel fortuante to have found this place. It’s not the cheapest we found, but by far not the most expensive. My daughter is growing into an independent, loving, smart little lady because of this place – something I don’t think I would have done as well with on my own if I had kept her at home as SAHM as I had wanted to do. That being said, there’s no way I could afford a second!!

By: linsey

linsey — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:58:01 +0000

Yes this is obviously an average…we pay $300 a week in Dallas!

By: Tara

Tara — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:23:32 +0000

I’m in Indiana and our daycare cost would have been roughly $11,000 for the first year of our son’s life (it gets cheaper the older they get). We decided that spending that much and not actually getting to be with him was ridiculous and opted for me to stay home instead. Since being at home I have found ways to stretch our budget and when you consider the “cost of working”-(ie. gas, clothes, take out food, etc) we actually come out ahead over 2 incomes plus daycare. I guess single-parents have no choice but to choose cheaper places that may not have the same security as the higher priced ones…which is a shame.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:10:21 +0000

I live in Mississippi and luckily the daycare I send my 8 month old to costs $90 a week. That’s still really expensive for my husband and me but somehow we always manage. I don’t know how people with more than 1 child do it. We would love to have another but we just simply can’t afford daycare for more than 1 child.

By: Cams Mom

Cams Mom — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:03:42 +0000

This is way off for Massachusetts. I’m not sure which daycare centers were included in the research, but in the greater Boston area and metro west it is upwards of $20K to $30K for full time infant care.