Minnesota Now One Of 5 Most Expensive States For Childcare

For many Minnesota families, the biggest challenge of raising kids isn’t bedtime battles; it’s the steep price tag that comes with childcare. A new report reveals just how high those costs have climbed in Minnesota and why our state ranks among the toughest places on parents’ wallets.

Raising kids in Minnesota isn’t just about sleepless nights and those non-stop school runs; it’s also about managing one of the steepest hidden costs families face. A new study shows just how much caring for kids today costs, and where the Land of 10,000 Lakes stacks up nationally-- and it isn't a pretty picture.

Minnesota Families Face Growing Struggles With Childcare Costs

For many of us, Minnesota is the place we grew up, and is also the place where we choose to raise our kids. That's evident by the number of residents 18 years and under currently living in the North Star State, which, according to the Minnesota State Demographic Center, is around 1.3 million, or between 22 and 23 percent of Minnesota's total population.

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Raising those kids, however, isn't cheap. And according to a new report, it's even more expensive here in the Bold North than in 45 other states. This study, by real estate company New Jersey Real Estate Network, said that Massachusetts families spend the highest percentage of their income on childcare, with parents dedicating over 30 percent of their earnings to center-based childcare services.

Minnesota Ranks Among the Top 5 States for Costly Childcare

But Minnesota isn't too far behind Massachusetts. The study also says that families here in the Gopher State currently spend 28.37 percent of their monthly income on childcare costs. That puts us at #5 on the list and works out to an average of $14,435 a year that Minnesota families currently spend on center-based childcare.

Where Minnesota Stands Compared to Other States in Childcare Costs

In addition to Massachusetts, only New York, Nevada, and Hawaii had higher childcare costs than we do in Minnesota. Our neighbors to the east in America's Dairyland, over in Wisconsin, ranked #7 in the survey, spending an average of $13,990 or 27.30 percent of their monthly income on childcare services.

The cheapest state for childcare, according to the survey, was Mississippi. It came in last on the list, with healthcare costs that average around 12 percent-- under *half* of the 34 percent that Minnesota families spend. Kansas, South Dakota, Kentucky, and Arkansas round out the list of states where childcare is the cheapest.

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