With kids out of school for the summer, many families face a tough choice: pay for child care or take time off work to save on costs.
A recent WalletHub study reveals that, given the high child care costs in the U.S., married couples are spending more than 13% of their income on child care, while single parents face an even steeper burden, spending approximately 51%.
“It costs a lot of money to take care of a child’s needs, and many parents are left with the dilemma of whether to forgo one salary to do their own child care for the first few years or to shell out a significant chunk of their income for child care services, said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “Married parents who both work can expect to spend as much as 13% of what they earn on child care, while single parents’ costs can amount to an astounding 51%.”
To determine where child care costs are most and least affordable, WalletHub compared full-time family-based and center-based care across all 50 states. They adjusted costs based on median income for both married couples and single parents, then scored each state on a 100-point scale. 100 is the highest cost.
Where does Alabama rank in child care affordability?
Alabama ranked No. 44 overall in WalletHub’s study on child care affordability. Married couples in the state spend the 8th lowest share of their income on care, about 7% for both family and centered-based options.
For single parents, Alabama ranked No. 23, with child care accounting for 27% of income for family-based care and 29% for center-based care.
What states have the highest child care costs?
Here are the states with the highest cost of child care:
What states have the lowest child care costs?
Here are the states with the lowest cost of child care:
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Is child care affordable in Alabama? WalletHub study says it is