New Report Shows Montana In The Top 10 For Child Care Costs

Child Care Costs Continue To Climb For Montana Families

As a parent, you want to know that the people you're leaving your kids with are going to take good care of them. Unfortunately, that peace of mind usually comes with a pretty hefty price tag.

I'll be honest, the day both of my kids started school and I no longer had to pay for child care was a very happy day.

Some Parents Consider Staying Home Instead of Working

Child care has gotten so expensive, that for some families, it can actually make more financial sense for one parent to stay home instead of working. On average, married couples are spending around 14% of their income on child care.

For single parents, it's even tougher. In some cases, nearly 60% of their income can go toward child care costs.

To find out which states are paying the most, WalletHub compared both family-based and center-based child care costs in every state, adjusting the numbers based on median household income. Unfortunately for Montana families, the state doesn't come out looking very good.

WalletHub Ranked The Most Expensive States For Child Care

WalletHub ranked costs separately for married couples and single parents, and both lists show Montana near the expensive end.

For single parents, Montana ranks 16th. On average, they're spending 28.35% of their income on family-based child care and 37.29% on center-based care.

For married couples, the news is even worse. Montana ranks as the seventh most expensive state for child care, with families spending 9.57% of their income on family-based care and 12.59% on center-based care.

After looking at those numbers, I'm even more thankful both of my kids are in school now.