Free tool
Budget calculator
Enter your state, your child's age, and your household's annual income. See the childcare price as a dollar figure and as a share of income, plus how it compares to a year of in-state public college tuition, the comparison Child Care Aware of America itself highlights.
Quick answer
What share of household income does childcare take up?
It depends heavily on state and household income: Child Care Aware of America's 2024 data shows center-based infant care ranging from under 30% of the poverty line in some states to over 100% of it in others. This calculator uses your actual state and income, not a national average, and shows the source figure behind every number.
Sources: Child Care Aware of America 2024 Price of Care (childcare prices), U.S. Census Bureau 2024 ACS (state median income for comparison), College Board Trends in College Pricing 2024 (in-state 4-year public tuition and fees). Full sourcing on the methodology page.
Comparing states instead?
The cost explorer lines up any two states side by side without needing your income.