How Much CT Families Really Spend on Child Care, According To New Data

Child care is pricey no matter where you go in the country and has gotten more expensive in recent years. While this remains true in Connecticut, the news might not be as bad as expected.

Nationwide, couples could spend as much as over 13% of their income on child care, while a single parent could have to shell out roughly 51%, according to personal finance site WalletHub’s research.

“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," Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said.

Connecticut ranks 20th in the U.S. in child care costs, according to WalletHub.

Connecticut married couples spend a median of 10% of their income on center-based child care, the study found. Couples also spend a median of 7% of their income for family-based child care.

The cost of child care is significantly more for single-parent households, which spend a median of 38% of their income for center-based care, the study found.

"Despite the hefty price tag, paying for child care is often unavoidable. Due to increases in the cost of living and shifts in gender roles over the years, households in which both parents work are commonplace," WalletHub wrote. "In fact, both parents are employed in 66.5% of families with children, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as a result, child care is an essential service for millions of families in the U.S. It’s also a necessity for single parents who don’t have the option to leave children with a partner during the day. "

Here are the top 10 most expensive states for child care:

1. New York
2. New Mexico
3. Washington
4. Oregon
5. Vermont
6. California
7. Rhode Island
8. Hawaii
9. Colorado
10. Massachusetts

Check out the full analysis at WalletHub.

The news was worse for Connecticut in a Lending Tree study earlier this year, which found it among the worst in the country for the cost of raising a child.

Related: CT Among States With Highest Costs Of Raising A Child, New Study Says