By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Childcare is draining American families with a force that has begun to rival housing costs, and new national analysis shows that in cities across the country, parents are paying more to care for their children than to keep a roof over their heads. Researchers at LendingTree found that infant care exceeds average rent in 11 of the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, while childcare for two children exceeds rent in 85 cities across the country.

The spike in expenses lands at a moment when the federal shutdown has blocked funding for 140 Head Start programs that serve 65,000 preschoolers. At least 20 programs have partially or fully closed, directly affecting nearly 10,000 children whose families now face soaring out-of-pocket Childcare costs with no federal support.

Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst for LendingTree, called the price crush unavoidable for many families. “Spending almost $1,300 a month on Childcare is a massive burden for parents, but most families don’t have another choice,” Schulz stated. “They can’t stay home. They don’t have family or friends they can rely on for Childcare. They have no other option but to put up a ton of money each month for Childcare.”

According to LendingTree, full-time infant care across the 100 largest metro areas averages $1,282 per month, compared with $1,716 for a two-bedroom rental. But in cities like Springfield, Massachusetts, parents now spend $1,996 on infant care compared with $1,734 for a two-bedroom apartment. That fifteen percent gap is the highest in the country. Milwaukee follows at nearly fifteen percent. Wichita, Omaha, Baltimore, Buffalo, Syracuse, Spokane, Minneapolis, Toledo, and Worcester also report infant care costs that outpace rent by significant margins.

The financial blow becomes more punishing for households with two children. Families in Omaha are paying $2,891 a month for Childcare for an infant and a four-year-old, more than twice the city’s average monthly rent of $1,368. Milwaukee and Buffalo are close behind, with Childcare there also costing more than double the rent. Households in Springfield, Syracuse, Toledo, Spokane, Minneapolis, Wichita, and Rochester all face gaps of seventy percent or more between Childcare costs and rent.

LendingTree notes that while the situation is severe in many regions, the pressure is also felt in cities where rent is extremely high. In Miami, San Jose, and San Francisco, rent still exceeds Childcare costs, but Childcare remains a heavy expense that continues to climb. Nationally, the price of Childcare increased more than thirty percent between 2020 and 2024, driven in part by shortages of early childhood educators and widespread Childcare deserts in rural and low-income regions.

For many households, the federal shutdown has turned an already strained system into a breaking point. Without funding, Head Start programs in more than a dozen states have already halted classes or reduced hours. Advocates warn that families who lose subsidized early childhood education face few alternatives, especially in communities that already lack available Childcare slots.

Schulz said families should brace for continued financial pressure. “High rent and Childcare costs create massive challenges for most young families,” he said. “However, to the degree possible, it is important to not fully ignore long-term goals like retirement and emergency savings.”

District of Columbia Story

In Washington, Childcare Rivals the Region’s Soaring Rent as Federal Shutdown Cuts Off Funding for Thousands

In the nation’s capital, where the price of nearly everything feels inflated, Childcare has emerged as one of the most punishing expenses for families. New data from LendingTree shows that in the Washington metro area, full-time infant care averages $2,140 per month, almost equal to the region’s two-bedroom rent of $2,253. For households with two young children, the burden jumps even higher to $3,854 per month, seventy-one percent more than the region’s average rent.

The fallout from the federal shutdown is making the pressure even worse. As of November 1, 140 Head Start programs nationwide serving 65,000 preschoolers have received no federal funding. Twenty programs have been forced to fully or partially close, affecting nearly 10,000 children. Programs in the D.C. region warn that unless Congress releases funds, more families will be pushed into the already overburdened private Childcare market, where prices outpace salaries for many workers.

Nationally, the LendingTree analysis found that the cost of infant care exceeds rent in eleven cities and that the price of caring for an infant and a four-year-old is higher than rent in eighty-five cities. Washington ranks fourteenth on that list. The average D.C. area family with two children is paying $1,601 more per month for Childcare than for housing. Baltimore, also in the region, reports infant care costs of $2,084 compared with rent of $1,857, a twelve percent gap that adds to financial pressure across the wider metro corridor.

Matt Schulz of LendingTree said many families cannot escape the mounting costs. “Most families don’t have another choice,” he stated. “They can’t stay home. They don’t have family or friends they can rely on for Childcare.”

The tight supply of early childhood educators in the District, the high cost of commercial space for licensed centers, and the region’s elevated cost of living all contribute to the problem. Industry experts also point to the surge in demand as more parents return to in-person work.

Washington’s struggle mirrors national trends. Between 2023 and 2024, the average price of Childcare nationwide jumped more than thirteen percent. The District remains one of the most expensive cities in the country for infant care, exceeding the cost of public university tuition in many states.

Local officials have urged Congress to restart Childcare funding immediately. Without the federal support that sustains Head Start and Early Head Start operations in the region, families who already pay some of the highest Childcare prices in the country will face even fewer options.

Schulz warned that the situation demands urgent attention. “It makes an already difficult financial situation that much more challenging,” he said.

Stacy M. Brown

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