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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does the cost of child care in the US average $20,000 a year?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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NO

According to World Population Review, "the average cost of providing center-based care for an infant in the U.S. is $1,230 per month," or $14,760 per year. Only in Washington, D.C., and the state of Massachusetts do costs exceed $20,000 per year, at $24,243 and $20,913, respectively.

Nonetheless, affordability is an issue throughout the country: the cost of center-based infant and toddler care does not meet the federal definition for affordability—7% of annual household income—in any state.

In a 2021 analysis of child care across 40 developed countries, UNICEF reported that child care costs in the U.S. were the ninth most expensive. One reason for this, highlighted by the New York Times, is that the U.S. government spends far less on child care than other countries: $500 per child annually compared with the OECD average of $14,436.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
World Population Review Child Care Costs by State 2022
UNICEF Where do rich countries stand on child care?
New York Times How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The US Is an Outlier.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.