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