New York has the third-highest child care cost burden in the country, with single-parent families facing some of the steepest pressure, according to a new WalletHub report.
The June 30 report compared family-based and center-based child care costs across the states, adjusting prices against median household income for married-couple and single-parent families. New York ranked No. 3 for both family types.
For married couples in New York, family-based child care costs were estimated at 10.93% of median annual income, while center-based care costs were estimated at 12.95%. WalletHub listed New York’s median income for married couples at $145,321, the 11th-highest in the country.
The burden was much higher for single-parent households. In New York, family-based child care costs were estimated at 38.42% of median annual single-parent income, while center-based care costs were estimated at 45.51%. WalletHub listed New York’s median income for single parents at $41,337, the 24th-highest nationally.
WalletHub said its ranking used data collected as of June 2 from the U.S. Census Bureau and Child Care Aware. The analysis assigned equal weight to full-time family-based care and center-based care for married-couple families and single-parent families.
Nationally, Nebraska ranked as the most expensive state for married-couple families, followed by California and New York. For single-parent families, the District of Columbia ranked first, followed by Massachusetts and New York.
WalletHub said child care remains a major expense for families because dual-income households have become common and many single parents do not have another adult at home to provide daytime care. The report said 66.3% of families with children have both parents employed, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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