It’s Official: Michigan One of The Worst States For Child Care Costs

If you're thinking about having a kid in Michigan you might need to win the lottery to afford the outrageous costs of child care.

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A new report has broken down child care costs and highlights the "Most Affordable" and the "Least Affordable" states.

The Cost of Child Care In America Is Outrageous

GOBankingRates analyzed the costs of child care for infants, toddlers, and 4-year-olds. They got their information from ChildCareAware’s Child Care Data Center and assessed what percent of the median income this care equals.

I've yet to hear any of my friends or family say the words "affordable and child care" in the same sentence.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines “affordable” as 7% of a person’s income. GoBankingRates said that using that criteria, not a single one of America’s 50 states offers its residents affordable child care.

The 10 States With The Most Affordable Child Care

• South Dakota
• North Dakota
• New Hampshire
• Utah
• Maryland
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• Wyoming
• Kentucky
• Georgia

The 10 States With The Least Affordable Child Care

• Michigan
• Nevada
• Massachusetts
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Washington
• North Carolina
• New Jersey
• California
• New Mexico

How Much Does Child Care Cost In Michigan

So how bad is the cost of child care in Michigan?

Median family income: $78,626

The average family income in Michigan is just under $80,000 which sounds pretty good until you throw day care costs into the equation. 

Center-based child care costs: $12,348

If you were to enroll your child at a day care facility it would be about $12,000 and that's only for one child. If you have two kids enrolled you're looking at almost $25,000

Family child care costs: $8,625

If you take care of the kid at home and not a center it's a bit cheaper averaging $8,624 a year for one child.

Percent of income needed for center-based child care: 15.70%

If you live in Michigan on average you will need to spend almost 16% of your income on daycare alone. That percentage blows my mind and makes me think twice about having kids.