Download Child Care Affordability Data

High-quality, affordable child care is essential for working parents. It supports developmental outcomes for children, boosts family economic security, supports maternal employment and reduces family poverty. In recognition of the central role that affordability plays in both child and family wellbeing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established a federal affordability benchmark, recommending that child care costs not exceed 7% of a household's income. Yet child care remains unaffordable for many families, with inequities by income, race/ethnicity and immigrant status. 

The 2025 child care affordability indicators provide national and state estimates of the extent to which full-time, year-round center-based and home-based child care is affordable for parents who work full time, year round. Using child care price data, we estimate child care affordability by income, race/ethnicity and immigrant status. For additional information about our methods, please see our brief Who Can Afford Child Care? A National and State Analysis of Affordability for Working Parents.