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Hawaii, Alaska and the Northeast top the list for daycare cost. Median center-based infant care runs $15,000–$18,000 a year in the priciest states.

US median center-based infant care is about $7,987 a year; family (home-based) care about $6,240. Costs range from ~$3,500 in Mississippi to ~$18,000 in Hawaii.

Family (in-home) daycare is usually cheaper than a center. Nationally, in-home infant care runs about $6,240 a year vs $7,987 for a center — about $1,700 less.

The federal benchmark says childcare should cost no more than 7% of income. In most US states, infant care alone takes far more — 8% to 23% of median household income.

Childcare is expensive because it is labor-intensive and tightly regulated: staff wages dominate the budget, and low child-to-staff ratios mean few children per paid adult.

Daycare cost falls as children grow. US median center-based care drops from $7,987/yr for infants to $7,280 toddler, $6,500 preschool and $5,523 school-age.