Childcare Affordability Deserts

Counties where center-based infant care costs exceed 20% of median household income, based on childcare price data and U.S. Census median-income figures across all 50 states. The HHS considers childcare affordable at 7% of income, these counties are nearly 3x that threshold.

Inclusion floor: a county enters this ranking only when both an NDCP infant center price and a Census ACS median household income (>$0) exist; missing either input excludes the county so a sparse income cell cannot manufacture a desert rate. National cohort average burden among priced counties: 15.2%. #1Piute County, Utah at 35.7% is a high cost-to-income screen; small ACS cells still move the ratio sharply.

This is a cost-burden ranking only, not a quality, safety, or licensing rating of any county or provider. Verify licensing and inspection history directly with providers or your state's Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency before choosing care.

351
Desert Counties
of 2,662 total
15.2%
Avg Cost Burden
national average
35.7%
Worst Burden
7%
HHS Threshold
affordable benchmark

Counties with Highest Cost Burden

#CountyInfant Cost% of Income
1Piute County$11,89535.7%
2Suffolk County$30,68035%
3Issaquena County$6,19034.6%
4Bronx County$15,60033.2%
5Humboldt County$19,04432.9%
6Knox County$16,16132.2%
7Fresno County$21,61131.9%
8Pacific County$18,58031.6%
9Athens County$15,34031.5%
10Grays Harbor County$18,58031.4%
11Wahkiakum County$18,58031.4%
12Apache County$11,70031.2%
13Stearns County$22,39530.6%
14Jackson County$13,73430.6%
15Huerfano County$14,82529.9%
16Inyo County$18,76529.6%
17Jefferson County$15,34028.9%
18San Miguel County$20,96128.8%
19Kern County$18,33728.7%
20Jefferson County$18,58028.7%
21Trumbull County$15,34028.7%
22Yuba County$18,98728.5%
23Clallam County$18,58028.1%
24Holmes County$8,04627.9%
25Klickitat County$18,58027.9%
26Butte County$18,41027.9%
27Marion County$15,34027.8%
28Monroe County$15,34027.7%
29Lewis County$18,58027.6%
30McDowell County$7,78827.6%
31Costilla County$9,52127.5%
32Belmont County$15,34026.9%
33Richmond City$16,03726.9%
34Lucas County$15,34026.8%
35Estill County$10,60326.5%
36Prairie County$11,64626.4%
37Powell County$10,12626.4%
38Champaign County$16,09226.3%
39Lane County$17,13126.3%
40Glacier County$10,78626.3%
41Cowlitz County$18,58026.2%
42Lincoln County$11,65126.1%
43Denver County$22,35726%
44Brooks County$7,95626%
45Ramsey County$20,28026%
46San Bernardino County$19,98125.8%
47Hampden County$17,16025.8%
48Milwaukee County$15,23625.7%
49Wayne County$13,73425.7%
50Sitka City and Borough$24,41325.6%
51Siskiyou County$13,80225.6%
52Cuyahoga County$15,34025.5%
53Santa Barbara County$23,53225.5%
54Essex County$24,00125.4%
55Coos County$13,99225.3%
56Multnomah County$21,16825.3%
57Fairbanks North Star Borough$20,55125.2%
58White County$13,73425.2%
59District of Columbia$25,48025%
60Calhoun County$10,40025%
61Whitman County$12,32625%
62Mason County$18,58025%
63Riverside County$21,04324.9%
64Sioux County$10,21524.8%
65Montgomery County$15,34024.8%
66Dimmit County$6,76024.7%
67Trinity County$11,67024.7%
68Berkshire County$17,16024.6%
69San Juan County$18,86824.6%
70Latimer County$10,46924.5%
71Ferry County$12,32624.4%
72Franklin County$17,16024.4%
73Whatcom County$18,86824.3%
74Greenwood County$11,55824.3%
75San Joaquin County$20,10824.3%
76Benton County$17,69024.3%
77Esmeralda County$9,85824.2%
78Josephine County$13,58224.2%
79Emporia City$10,02824.2%
80Lake County$13,59424.2%
81Ouray County$18,99624.1%
82Seminole County$10,34723.9%
83Jackson County$6,24023.9%
84Norfolk County$28,86023.9%
85Cumberland County$14,89123.9%
86Pushmataha County$10,07423.8%
87Wheatland County$11,49523.8%
88McIntosh County$10,34823.8%
89Santa Cruz County$24,79823.8%
90Winnebago County$14,64723.7%
91Manassas Park City$21,71623.7%
92Moffat County$15,15323.7%
93Yolo County$20,13523.7%
94Carter County$10,99223.6%
95Adams County$20,40523.6%
96Liberty County$11,34723.6%
97Park County$20,07723.6%
98Sanders County$11,11423.6%
99El Dorado County$23,39823.6%
100Mendocino County$14,45923.6%

Cost Burden by State

Average childcare cost as a percentage of median income. States with higher burden have more families struggling to afford care.

District of Columbia25%
1 desert counties (100%)
Worst: 25% · 1 counties
Massachusetts22.5%
10 desert counties (71.4%)
Worst: 35% · 14 counties
Washington22.4%
27 desert counties (69.2%)
Worst: 31.6% · 39 counties
California21.9%
37 desert counties (63.8%)
Worst: 32.9% · 58 counties
Arizona19.5%
5 desert counties (33.3%)
Worst: 31.2% · 15 counties
Montana19.5%
20 desert counties (35.7%)
Worst: 26.4% · 56 counties
Connecticut19.4%
4 desert counties (50%)
Worst: 23% · 8 counties
New York19.4%
26 desert counties (41.9%)
Worst: 33.2% · 62 counties
Oklahoma19.3%
29 desert counties (37.7%)
Worst: 24.5% · 77 counties
Oregon19%
11 desert counties (30.6%)
Worst: 26.3% · 36 counties
New Hampshire18.7%
2 desert counties (20%)
Worst: 25.3% · 10 counties
Ohio18.4%
27 desert counties (30.7%)
Worst: 31.5% · 88 counties
Illinois18.2%
16 desert counties (27.6%)
Worst: 32.2% · 58 counties
Maine18.1%
2 desert counties (12.5%)
Worst: 23% · 16 counties
Alaska18%
2 desert counties (25%)
Worst: 25.6% · 8 counties
Colorado17.8%
19 desert counties (30.6%)
Worst: 29.9% · 62 counties
West Virginia17.7%
12 desert counties (21.8%)
Worst: 27.6% · 55 counties
Rhode Island17.1%
1 desert counties (20%)
Worst: 20.7% · 5 counties
Hawaii17%
No desert counties
Worst: 19.1% · 4 counties
New Jersey16.9%
4 desert counties (19%)
Worst: 23.9% · 21 counties
Utah16.8%
5 desert counties (17.2%)
Worst: 35.7% · 29 counties
Maryland16.7%
4 desert counties (16.7%)
Worst: 22.4% · 24 counties
Florida16.5%
5 desert counties (9.4%)
Worst: 25% · 53 counties
North Carolina16.5%
12 desert counties (12.1%)
Worst: 23.1% · 99 counties
Wisconsin16.5%
7 desert counties (9.7%)
Worst: 25.7% · 72 counties
Minnesota16.1%
9 desert counties (10.3%)
Worst: 30.6% · 87 counties
North Dakota15.8%
2 desert counties (3.8%)
Worst: 24.8% · 53 counties
Nebraska15.8%
3 desert counties (3.2%)
Worst: 22.5% · 93 counties
Virginia15%
11 desert counties (8.2%)
Worst: 26.9% · 134 counties
Nevada14.8%
3 desert counties (17.6%)
Worst: 24.2% · 17 counties
Louisiana14.7%
3 desert counties (4.7%)
Worst: 22% · 64 counties
Mississippi14.7%
3 desert counties (3.7%)
Worst: 34.6% · 82 counties
Delaware14.4%
No desert counties
Worst: 17.1% · 3 counties
South Carolina14.2%
1 desert counties (2.2%)
Worst: 24.3% · 46 counties
Tennessee14.2%
6 desert counties (6.3%)
Worst: 22.9% · 95 counties
Alabama14%
6 desert counties (9%)
Worst: 22.7% · 67 counties
Kentucky13.8%
7 desert counties (5.8%)
Worst: 26.5% · 120 counties
Texas12.7%
6 desert counties (2.4%)
Worst: 26% · 254 counties
Iowa12.5%
No desert counties
Worst: 15.9% · 99 counties
Michigan12.3%
No desert counties
Worst: 19.7% · 83 counties
Wyoming11.9%
1 desert counties (4.8%)
Worst: 21.5% · 21 counties
Georgia11.8%
1 desert counties (0.6%)
Worst: 22.9% · 159 counties
Idaho11.8%
No desert counties
Worst: 17.7% · 44 counties
South Dakota10.8%
1 desert counties (1.5%)
Worst: 23.9% · 66 counties
Kansas9.5%
No desert counties
Worst: 18.3% · 105 counties

About Affordability Deserts

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines childcare as "affordable" when it costs no more than 7% of a family's income. In practice, most American families spend far more.

We flag counties as "affordability deserts" when center-based infant care exceeds 20% of median household income - nearly 3x the HHS benchmark. These are areas where families face extreme financial pressure to access childcare.

  • <10% - Relatively affordable
  • 10-20% - Moderate cost burden
  • >20% - Affordability desert
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (2022). Costs are annual center-based infant care. Income is county median household income