Child care cost as much as rent for many families at inflation's peak, new data shows
Many families have been effectively cutting a second rent check to send their kids to day care, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
Many families have been effectively cutting a second rent check to send their kids to day care, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
It’s no secret that child care expenses have put a huge squeeze on households across the U.S., but the federal numbers show just how steep those costs became from one county to the next during the worst inflation in 40 years. On average, families spent anywhere from $6,552 to as much as $15,600 on full-day care per child in 2022, the latest year with available data.
That upper range is a few hundred dollars more than that year’s median annual rent, the agency noted. While incomes also range widely throughout the country, households typically funnel between about 9% and 16% of their annual income on day care per child.
These costs are just untenable for an awful lot of families.
Gretchen Livingston, U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau
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