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Americans are having fewer kids because it's too expensive — here's how much child care costs in every state

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Three of the top four reasons people are having fewer children than they'd like to are economic, according to a survey released by The New York Times on Thursday.

"Child care is too expensive" was the top reason (64 percent), the Times found, with "worried about the economy" at No. 3 (49 percent) and "can't afford more children" (44 percent) coming in fourth, showing that economic insecurities and financial concerns are causing many young Americans to skip or delay having kids.

The new Morning Consult survey for The New York Times, which surveyed 1,858 men and women ages 20 to 45, also showed 54 percent wanted more time for the children they already have.

The U.S. fertility rate is at a record low for the second consecutive year, according to The New York Times.

"The cost of having children in the U.S. has grown exponentially since the 1960s, when the government first started collecting data on childhood expenditures," CNBC previously reported. From 2000 to 2010, the cost of having children increased by 40 percent.

As of 2015, American parents spent an average of $233,610 per child from birth until the age of 17, not including college. Higher-income families can expect to spend significantly more, around $372,210, while lower-income families spend close to $174,690.

But how much exactly does child care cost? It depends on where you live.

Washington, D.C., is the most expensive, with annual child care costing $22,631, according to the latest report from think tank Economic Policy Institute. After the capital, the most expensive states (in descending order) are Massachusetts ($17,062), Minnesota ($14,366), New York ($14,144) and Maryland ($13,932).

Mississippi has the cheapest child care at $4,822 a year, according to the report.

Ranked from least to most expensive, here's how much child care costs annually in every state and Washington, D.C., according to the institute's numbers, updated in April 2016. EPI determines its list using costs of nannies and day care for infants up to 3 years old.

50. Mississippi: $4,822

49. Alabama: $5,637

48. South Dakota: $5,661

47. Louisiana: $5,747

46. Tennessee: $5,857

45. Arkansas: $5,995

44. Kentucky: $6,294

43. South Carolina: $6,475

42. Wyoming: $6,541

41. Oklahoma: $6,788

40. Idaho: $7,200

39. Georgia: $7,644

38. Nebraska: $7,926 (tie)

38. West Virginia: $7,926 (tie)

37. New Mexico: $7,942

36. North Dakota: $8,217

35. Hawaii: $8,280

34. Missouri: $8,632

33. Utah: $8,641

32. Florida: $8,694

31. Texas: $8,759

30. Indiana: $8,918

29. Ohio: $8,977

28. Montana: $9,062

27. North Carolina: $9,255

26. Arizona: $9,437

25. Iowa: $9,485

24. Maine: $9,512

23. Nevada: $9,852

22. Michigan: $9,882

21. Virginia: $10,458

20. Pennsylvania: $10,640

19. Alaska: $10,957

18. Delaware: $11,000

17. Kansas: $11,201

16. Vermont: $11,270

15. Oregon: $11,322

14. New Jersey: $11,534

13. Wisconsin: $11,579

12. New Hampshire: $11,810

11. California: $11,817

10. Washington: $12,733

9. Rhode Island: $12,867

8. Illinois: $12,964

7. Colorado: $13,154

6. Connecticut: $13,880

5. Maryland: $13,932

4. New York: $14,144

3. Minnesota: $14,366

2. Massachusetts: $17,062

1. Washington, D.C.: $22,631

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