This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
Washington was listed as having one of the highest day care center prices in the country.
The state was ranked the second-worst for infant care center prices in 2024, taking up 50.7% of a single parent’s median income, according to the Child Care Aware (CCA) report.
Washington child care prices
The report included that the median income for a single parent in Washington was $42,108, and the average annual cost for an infant in a day care center was $21,348.
Furthermore, toddler care in Washington accounted for 45.7% of a single parent’s median income, and 40.2% for a four-year-old.
“Only Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia had higher child care prices last year,” Axios stated, according to CCA.
Child care, or in-state tuition?
Average annual child care center prices in Washington were roughly double the amount of in-state tuition at a four-year public university, according to the CCA report.
The report listed the average in-state tuition and fees for Washington as being $11,848, more than double the $21,348 needed to pay for an infant in child care annually.
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