Report: WA is among the most expensive states for infant childcare center spots
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Washington had the second-highest center-based cost for two children at $40,896 per year.
- Washington had the third-highest infant center care cost at $23,136 per year.
- Two-kid childcare costs in Washington nearly double the median annual rent of $21,120.
Childcare in Washington continues to be among the costliest nationwide, according to a new report.
In the report released this month by Child Care Aware of America, Washington state had the second-highest average price for placing two children in center-based care at $40,896 per year — behind only Massachusetts ($48,431 annually).
The cost in Washington to enroll two kids under 5 in such care is nearly double that of the state’s median annual rent of $21,120, per the data. Plus, Washington counted the fourth-priciest rent; California, Hawaii and Massachusetts ranked as having the first-, second- and third-highest rent, respectively.
The Evergreen State didn’t fare much better when it comes to the cost of enrolling one infant in center-based care. Last year, Washington logged the third-highest price at $23,136 per year. The only two states to rank higher were Massachusetts ($27,067 annually) and Hawaii ($25,096 annually).
Nationwide in 2025, the average yearly cost for childcare was $13,184, according to Child Care Aware of America.
Advocates note that many families are struggling to make ends meet at a time when the childcare system — both in Washington and nationwide — is becoming prohibitively pricey.
Last year Child Care Aware of America released a report that found Washington had the fifth-highest child-care costs in the nation.
Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations for Child Care Aware of Washington, said in a call that the report wasn’t a surprise. It showed what her group hears every day from providers and parents: Families are being forced to make trade-offs between workforce participation and financial stability.
Childcare costs rival the largest household expenses when families everywhere are having a hard time affording daily living, she said.
“We talk about the affordability crisis, and childcare is deeply rooted in that,” Stokes said.
Heidi Bugbee, executive director of Generations Early Learning & Family Center in Bellingham, said she’s noticed families will sacrifice a consistent care schedule due to a lack of affordability. Some might ask the grandparents or their neighbors to babysit on certain weekdays because they can’t cover the expense of enrolling their kid five days a week.
She encourages people to advocate for Washington to expand the number of families who qualify for subsidies. Some may decide that staying home with their kids makes more fiscal sense than going to work, which affects the broader economy, she said.
“I mean, it’s just a real hardship,” Bugbee said of childcare’s strain on family budgets.
Stokes explained that providing decent care requires staff and myriad expenses. Childcare centers can’t just add more kids in a classroom with the same number of adults to save on costs; that wouldn’t be safe or good for quality.
On top of that, factors like food, utilities, rent and wages weigh on providers’ bottom lines, she said.
“Most providers, on average in the state, the workers make the same as dog groomers,” Stokes said. “But the total costs exceed the total amount they’re bringing in.”
Providers are small businesses that employ thousands of people, Stokes explained. When they can’t afford to raise wages, there’s a downward pressure on the economy, she added, referencing a 2024 report that showed Washington’s economy loses $6 billion a year because of the childcare crisis.
Although Washington’s population grew by more than 400,000 in the last five years, the state’s childcare capacity broadened by just 3,000 kids, she said.
Certain legislation like the new income tax on high earners is moving Washington’s tax structure in the right direction, Stokes said. State lawmakers have also made childcare cuts that will continue exacerbating the problem and forcing families and providers alike out of the workforce, she said.
Care feels deeply expensive to many parents “because it is,” she added: “It is not a market that can just solve itself.”
This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Report: WA is among the most expensive states for infant childcare center spots."
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