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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Average Costs Per State
MrsB 06:34 AM 03-14-2012
So there is always lots of discussion regarding average costs in an area so I did some surfing. I found this which is interesting. The data is from 2011 so pretty recent.

http://www.doodledays.com/index.php?...=61&Itemid=112

My state was pretty spot on. Maybe a little high, but I figured since I live in a upper-lower class community (not sure if that is a word ).

How do your interpretations of what you think is average daycare cost match up to these numbers?

The other thing I noticed is the center rates really are not that different from the family care rates (in my state). Which is not necessarily my experience, but to be honest I haven't called centers rate checking in a while. Hmmmm

Massachussets has a really high rate! Which is funny because daycare rates are not always indicitive of cost of living. There are several states that have a much higher cost of living than Massachusetts but much lower daycare rates. (My state!)

Interesting!
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Blackcat31 06:41 AM 03-14-2012
My state was a little low in what they are saying are average rates IMO. I charge a bit more than they say is normal for family care and I think the farther south you go in my state (more metro areas) the higher the cost so their estimates would be way off for that area.

I also find that all the centers here in my community charge about the same as family care so there is not a big difference between the two types of care as far as money goes.

My state also seems to view SA kids in the same manner I do: more work, more supervision= more money.

So the averages they give for SA care is really low as most places around my area charge ALOT for SA.
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cheerfuldom 06:50 AM 03-14-2012
My state is probably close to the rates listed. But there is a huge variety within the states between the urban and rural area costs. The urban is probably about 4x as much as rural so the rates listed can be misleading.
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DCMom 07:14 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
My state also seems to view SA kids in the same manner I do: more work, more supervision= more money.

So the averages they give for SA care is really low as most places around my area charge ALOT for SA.

I was thinking the same thing!
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AfterSchoolMom 07:46 AM 03-14-2012
My state thinks I was WAY undercharging for SA care. Parents disagree.

Infant and 4 year old care is pretty spot on.
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Childminder 07:58 AM 03-14-2012
I charge more than average for a family home, even though felt I was low. I am in a metro city area so may be why. Our state is pretty diverse in income and metro vs rural areas so that might be the reason.
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DCBlessings27 08:06 AM 03-14-2012
The averages in KS were low. Infant care in my area averages around 150. I have my rate at 175. School-age was definitely low. I do know some providers in smaller towns charge less than $100/week for all ages though.
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Heidi 08:13 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
My state is probably close to the rates listed. But there is a huge variety within the states between the urban and rural area costs. The urban is probably about 4x as much as rural so the rates listed can be misleading.
same here! In Juneau County the family providers charge $110/infant per week, the centers closer to $135, but all the centers here combined probably have no more than 12-16 infant spots, and we have LOTS of unregulated and illegal providers.

In Madison, they have way fewer illegals (too easy to get called in), and fairly few unregulated (higher percentage of educated people who want regulated care), and the rate for infants is closer to $250 per week, and the family childcare providers aren't much "cheaper" than the centers.
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MrsB 08:14 AM 03-14-2012
Oh yes, I agree. I hope no one took this post as this is what you should charge for your state? Mine are pretty spot on probably because my area is pretty close to representing the average of the state, as far as income, cost of living, assessability to childcare, etc. I think if you were going to use these figures you would definately have to take into aco**** that these averages include the highs and lows from all areas in the state.

On the other hand, just a note, there was an off chance my hubby got transferred to New Mexico. After looking at the figures. I am glad he didnt! To make money at my profession, I probably would have had to live on base to get paid more than $70 per week.

This also raises my next question, I wonder how the costs match up to states with super strict licensing requirements versus those that are more lenient
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Unregistered 08:28 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by MrsB:
So there is always lots of discussion regarding average costs in an area so I did some surfing. I found this which is interesting. The data is from 2011 so pretty recent.

http://www.doodledays.com/index.php?...=61&Itemid=112

My state was pretty spot on. Maybe a little high, but I figured since I live in a upper-lower class community (not sure if that is a word ).

How do your interpretations of what you think is average daycare cost match up to these numbers?

The other thing I noticed is the center rates really are not that different from the family care rates (in my state). Which is not necessarily my experience, but to be honest I haven't called centers rate checking in a while. Hmmmm

Massachussets has a really high rate! Which is funny because daycare rates are not always indicitive of cost of living. There are several states that have a much higher cost of living than Massachusetts but much lower daycare rates. (My state!)

Interesting!
I'm in MD too and the rates there are lower than anything I've found around me (at least for infant care). Centers are $300+ and homes are usually about $200-250. I'm in Central MD, so maybe the more rural parts balance it out.
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wdmmom 09:25 AM 03-14-2012
I am in Iowa and those rates are comparable yet low.

The city I am in is significantly higher than those rates.


In home daycare infant rates probably average $150-$185.

Toddler/preschool age care averages $125 -$150

Center infant care averages about $200-$225

Toddler rates are around $185-$205.

I don't know what the average rates are for before or after school and I don't provide it so I don't keep up on that.
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MarinaVanessa 09:47 AM 03-14-2012
I'm in Southern CA between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and what they list is pretty low in my opinion. But then again in my city and even in my area of my city we are pretty high on the scale. I devided their amount for infant family care by 52 weeks and it came out to be $131 per week, the rate in my area seems to be $160 per week.
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AmyLeigh 10:01 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I'm in Southern CA between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and what they list is pretty low in my opinion. But then again in my city and even in my area of my city we are pretty high on the scale. I devided their amount for infant family care by 52 weeks and it came out to be $131 per week, the rate in my area seems to be $160 per week.
And yet it's a little high for my area of the state. ($100-$125 a week)
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MrsB 10:06 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I'm in MD too and the rates there are lower than anything I've found around me (at least for infant care). Centers are $300+ and homes are usually about $200-250. I'm in Central MD, so maybe the more rural parts balance it out.
Yeah I think you are right. My guess was the closer you get to the beltway the higher the costs are. Im in southern MD.
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Lucy 10:20 AM 03-14-2012
Wow, the difference between Massachusetts (the highest) and Texas (the lowest) was amazing!!! I'm puzzled as to why Texas is so low??? Why is Massachusetts so dang high??? Connecticut seemed to come in at #2.

Anyway, my state's average is on the low side compared to what I charge. What we have to remember for the larger states is that it comprises the entire state, which may include less densely populated, lower income areas. I am in a metropolis, so my area is higher than my state's average.
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MarinaVanessa 10:49 AM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by AmyLeigh:
And yet it's a little high for my area of the state. ($100-$125 a week)
Yes, it's interesting isn't it? What area are you in? Im in a smallish city (about 100,000 people) along the coast. The average yearly household income is about $65,000 a year and even in this economy a 1,200 sq ft home is about $350-$400,000.
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nannyde 11:51 AM 03-14-2012
I think Iowa is pretty right on for averages.

WDM mom lives in the highest cluster of higher rates in the state. If you go south or north of Des Moines you get those super low rates that balance out the higher rates in her area.

I think if they did a survey of the state right now I actually think in 2012 it would drop even further. I've seen my area go from an average of maybe 125 down into the 80's and 90's just in the last six months.

We have a HUGE HUGE amount of new providers who are just charging housing rates with no labor money. I "think" the entry low cost providers are now the majority... meaning the majority of kids in care (more than half) are being cared for by the low cost new providers. They are valuable to this economy right now... more valuable than I will ever be no matter how many years I do child care.

I know my place
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AmyLeigh 04:45 PM 03-14-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Yes, it's interesting isn't it? What area are you in? Im in a smallish city (about 100,000 people) along the coast. The average yearly household income is about $65,000 a year and even in this economy a 1,200 sq ft home is about $350-$400,000.
Near Fresno. Population: 50,000. My 1800 sq ft home in a nicer area is worth about $160,000 right now. Average income: $50,000. Agriculture is the main economy, so there are a lot of migrant/seasonal workers.
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PitterPatter 05:30 PM 03-14-2012
Wow the infant and 4 yr old family care is exactly right! The school age not so much. What they did was calculate as if the school age was in care all day like the preschoolers but they aren't they have school most of the day. When I calculated it at all day care for the year it too was right!

Thanks for sharing!
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