Kids & Family

NYC Childcare Costs Rank Among Most Expensive In U.S.: Data

Think shelling out $23,000 for infant daycare in New York City is ridiculously pricey? Data shows you're right.

New York City has some of the most expensive childcare costs in the nation, data shows.
New York City has some of the most expensive childcare costs in the nation, data shows. (Shutterstock)

NEW YORK CITY — Only in New York — and a handful of other places — is paying $23,000 or more a year for childcare on the parental menu, data shows.

Childcare costs in the five boroughs consistently ranked among the most top 100 most expensive counties in 2022, according to U.S. Department of Labor data.

The numbers also show that prices for infant, toddler, preschool and school-age childcare have all risen since 2018.

Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Expanding childcare offerings in the city has been a goal of Mayor Eric Adams. In his recent "State of the City" address, he proposed rezoning Midtown and later specifically said part of roughly 10 million square feet of unused real estate there could be used for childcare.

"We've secured $4 billion to help New Yorkers with childcare," he told WNYC Friday. "Let's open more childcare locations. That may entice people to come and work with their children who could be nearby."

Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But unfortunately for New York City parents, particularly women who often find themselves facing added burdens because of childcare, any changes likely will be months or years in the future.

As of 2022, here's how the cost of childcare stood in New York City.

Infant childcare costs, specifically for youngsters who went to center, was by far the most expensive, both for the city and across the U.S., the data shows. The typical price stand at just shy of $23,000 across the five boroughs.

For comparison, the typical cost for infant daycare stood about $8,700 among roughly 3,100 counties in the U.S. last year, according to the data.

At-home infant daycare was significantly less expensive at $11,000 across the five boroughs, data shows.

Prices for toddler center-based care stood at roughly $18,000 across the five boroughs, according to the data. The price nationally was $8,000.

At-home care in the city again stood at $11,000, the data shows.

Preschool prices in the city stood at $16,000 for center-based care, compared to $7,200 nationally, the numbers show.

Again, at-home preschool-age childcare prices were much less expensive at roughly $10,000, according to the data.

Childcare costs for school-aged children stood at roughly $13,000 in the city, with each borough among the top 30 most-expensive counties in the nation, the data shows.

The full data can be seen here.


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