Child Care Costs Eat Up More Of MA Parents' Income – Patch
By Chris Rhatigan
Parents in Massachusetts with young children are spending about 20 percent of their income on child care, according to a new report that calls prices “untenable for families,” even for those who live in areas where rates are lower.
That’s about $22,000 a year in 2022 dollars, according to the National Database of Childcare Prices, which offers the most comprehensive look yet at how child care costs vary across 2,360 counties in 47 states. The report was released earlier this week by the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor.
Here is the median cost for infant center-based child care for several Massachusetts counties:
Worcester County: $19,112; 18.4 percent of median income
Middlesex County, $26,409; 19.5 percent of median income
Suffolk: $23,166; 28 percent of median income
Norfolk: $26,409; 18.9 percent of median income
Barnstable: $17,644; 17 percent of median income
Essex: $23,108; 21.5 percent of median income