These 15 States Are the Costliest Places to Raise Kids

Published:

Childcare is necessary for many families but can be incredibly expensive. Many people struggle with this cost every month, as inflation has driven the costs of everything.

According to Care.com, there are three main ways that people get childcare: they can hire a nanny to take care of their child at home, they can hire a babysitter, or they can use a daycare center. Certain states are more expensive than others for these childcare options.

This sample of 2000 U.S. adults was surveyed between November 9, 2023, and November 12, 2023. All respondents are parents of children 14 years or younger and currently pay for professional child care, confirmed by both consumer-matched data and self-confirmation.

Massachusetts – Nanny

Historic East End Boston Massachusetts United States brick buildings bakery restaurants and shops car street intersection landmark little Italy Italian American city town downtown area red orange USA.
Image Credit: hunkir/Shutterstock.

Massachusetts has a high cost of living, and that’s evident in many types of purchases, including hiring a nanny. It’s the state that has the highest cost for a nanny at $899 per week.

Washington, D.C. – Nanny

United States of America Capitol building in Washington, D. C.
Image Credit: CSNafzger/Shutterstock.

Sure, it’s not a state, but it deserves to be counted among them. The price for a nanny in D.C. is almost what it costs in MA. You can expect to pay a nanny $894 per week in this bustling city.

California – Nanny

San francisco Hyde Street Cable Car Tram of the Powell-Hyde in California USA
Image Credit: lunamarina/Shutterstock.

In third place for nanny salaries, California is another highly expensive market. And, as a very large state, the price will vary from one area to another. The average in the state is $890 a week.

Washington- Nanny

Seattle, Washington, USA downtown skyline.
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.

The fourth highest state for nanny salaries is this state full of stunning evergreens. The cost of a nanny in this Pacific Northwest jewel is $872 per week.

Connecticut -Nanny

View of the New Haven Green and downtown, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Image Credit: Jon Bilous/Shutterstock.

Connecticut has the fifth-highest nanny salaries of any state. This tiny state has a very high cost of living, and a nanny will cost you an average of $844 there.

Nevada – Babysitter

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA at the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign at dusk.
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.

When you want to hire a babysitter, the price can also be pretty high these days. Nevada is the most expensive state for babysitters. They’ll cost you an average of $203 a week there.

California – Babysitter

the skyline of los angeles during sunset.
Image Credit: frank_peters/Shutterstock.

California has the second-highest rate for a weekly babysitter. In the Golden State, you can expect to pay about $197 a week to have someone care for your child or children.

Massachusetts – Babysitter

Panoramic aerial view of Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Image Credit: Sergii Figurnyi/Shutterstock.

This small state may be beautiful, but it’s also quite expensive to live in. If you live there and have one or more children, you will pay an average of $195 a week for a babysitter.

Washington – Babysitter

Tacoma, Washington, USA with Mt. Rainier in the distance on Commencement Bay.
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.

If you need a babysitter in the mountainous state of Washington, you’ll pay the fourth-highest amount of any state. The state averages about $193 a week for a babysitter.

Vermont – Babysitter

Burlington, Vermont, USA at Church Street Marketplace.
Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.

In this New England state, the cost of living is high like in the rest of the region. If you need a babysitter for a week, you can expect to pay an average of $192.

Washington D.C. – Daycare

The Jefferson Memorial during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Washington, D.C. in USA
Image Credit: f11photo/Shutterstock.

In D.C., it isn’t just hiring a nanny that’s so expensive. In this exciting city, parents who choose daycare for their children will pay an average of about $419 a week.

Alaska – Daycare

Snow town Anchorage, Alaska, the United States of America is one of many people's dream to visit due to its scenery, culture, culinary.
Image Credit: TripWalkers/Shutterstock.

A lot of things are more expensive in Alaska, and that’s true of everything imported to the state as well as a week of daycare. Parents in this frontier state pay about $375 a week for daycare.

Massachusetts – Daycare

Cambridge Kendall Square skyline and Longfellow Bridge aerial view, Boston, Massachusetts MA, USA. The bridge connects Cambridge and Boston over Charles River is a steel rib arch bridge built in 1906.
Image Credit: Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.

The third-highest cost for daycare in the U.S. is in this seaside state. It will cost an average of $372 a week for parents to keep a child in daycare here.

Washington – Daycare

Bellevue Washington. The snowy Alpine Lakes Wilderness mountain peaks rise behind the urban skyline.
Image Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock.

Washington state is a great place to live and work, but it can be an expensive one. If you put a child into daycare here, the average cost per week would be about $337.

California – Daycare

Scenery of the flower bed in the street; San Jose, California
Image Credit: mTaira/Shutterstock.

 

California is known for its high cost of living, and that cost includes steep fees for daycare. Parents who utilize a daycare in California will pay the fifth-highest rate in the country of $304 per week.

The 15 States Bursting at the Seams With People

 

Farming and cultivations in Latin America. Portrait of middle aged hispanic farmer sitting proud in his tractor at sunset, holding the steering wheel. He looks at the camera and smiles happy.
Image Credit: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock.

 

Some states have a high population density and many population centers. Others are mostly rural and may have little population. The difference between the top and bottom states in terms of population is enormous.

According to World Population Review, these are the top 15 states for population.

The 15 States Bursting at the Seams With People

These 15 States Are the Safest States in the USA

old man enjoying life at full by travelling around world sittig on the seaside against lighthouse on sunny Autumn day.
Image Credit: Irene Miller/Shutterstock.

 

Some states are safer than others, and this is a big influence on where people move. Places with a low level of public safety have a lot of crime, and this can prevent the public from wanting to move there and even visit.

There are various types of crime, with violent crime and property crime being highly important to the public safety rating of each state.

These 15 States Are the Safest States in the USA

The 11 Most Dishonest Cities in America

Outdoors portrait of middle age man at the spring, summer or autumn day.
Image Credit: Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock.

 

Picture this: you find a stack of cash. Do you pocket the unexpected windfall, or do you take the noble route and hand it in to the police?

In this scenario, a significant 47% of Americans admit they would keep the found money, assuming no one saw their stroke of luck. Interestingly, gender doesn’t play a big role, with both women (47.4%) and men (46.6%) expressing similar inclinations to be tempted by the cash.

The 11 Most Dishonest Cities in America

The 15 Countries That Have More Filthy Rich People Than Others

Cute young brunette girl in sunglasses walks along the Los Angeles waterfront with palm trees and streets on a summer day.
Image Credit: Ivanova Ksenia/Shutterstock.

 

There are rich people around the world, but there are some areas that have more wealthy residents than others. When looking at how many millionaires there are in each country, it isn’t even remotely even.

There are major wealth centers in certain countries that represent far more wealth than exists in other areas. It’s amazing how many millionaires there are; this is where they’re located.

The 15 Countries That Have More Filthy Rich People Than Others

15 Countries That You Will Probably Regret Traveling To

 

Portrait of confident young black woman looking serious at camera. Independent african american female on the city background.
Image Credit: VN_KK/Shutterstock,

 

There are some countries where the majority of visitors love their experience. However, there are other countries that people come back from and never recommend to anyone. These countries often have circumstances that make the trip miserable so that visitors can’t wait to leave and go home.

15 Countries That You Will Probably Regret Traveling To

 

 

Author: Lizz Shepherd

Bio:

Lizz Shepherd is a freelance writer living in Alabama.

Leave a Comment