Home Economy Economic Activity WalletHub: Rhode Island among most expensive states for childcare

WalletHub: Rhode Island among most expensive states for childcare

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PBN Staff

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07/07/2026

Philanthropy Volunteering — VOLUNTEER EVANGELISTA BAEZ, center, 72, of Providence, supervises 3-year-olds Scarlett Mendoza, left, and Gabriel Kubbe in an early childcare program at Federal Hill House in Providence. According to a recent WalletHub analysis, Rhode Island ranked 11th-highest in the nation for childcare costs for married couples. / AP FILE PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island remains among the most expensive states for the cost of childcare, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub. The Florida-based personal finance website compiled the prices of full-time family-based childcare and center-based childcare as of June 2 and adjusted them to the median income of a married couple and a single-parent family. Data used

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PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island remains among the most expensive states for the cost of childcare, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub. The Florida-based personal finance website compiled the prices of full-time family-based childcare and center-based childcare as of June 2 and adjusted them to the median income of a married couple and a single-parent family. Data used to create the ranking was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau and Child Care Aware. According to the analysis, Rhode Island ranked 11th-highest in the nation for childcare costs for a married couple. Data showed 9.74% of married couples’ income was spent on family-based childcare and 11.77% was spent on center-based childcare. Rhode Island ranked seventh-highest in the nation for a married couple in last year’s inaugural report. For single-parent families, Rhode Island ranked 10th-highest in the nation in WalletHub’s latest report, with 31.78% of the median income spent on family-based childcare and 38.41% on center-based childcare. Rhode Island ranked fifth-highest in the nation for single parents in last year’s report. Nebraska was the most expensive for married families, according to the most recent study. Those earners spend 10.68% of their median income on family-based childcare and 13.58% on center-based childcare. California was second, followed by New York, Oregon and Washington. Massachusetts ranked eighth-highest overall, as well as for married couples, which was the highest among the New England states. Married families in the Commonwealth spend 9.14% of their median income on family-based childcare and 13.02% on center-based childcare. The District of Columbia was the most expensive for single-parent families for the second straight year. Residents of the nation’s capital spend 51.16% of their median income on family-based childcare and 58.72% on center-based childcare. Massachusetts was the second-most-expensive for single-parent families. Bay State residents spend 35.11% on family-based childcare and 50.01% on center-based childcare. New York, Washington and California rounded out the top five for single-parent families. The full report can be found here.