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Median Annual Wages Comparison
Comparison between childcare workers and the national median salary in the US.
Primary Sources
Nearly half of US families face licensed childcare shortages - MSN
Shortage still widespread: Nearly half of US children under six live in areas with too few licensed childcare providers, with rural families most affected. State responses vary: Washington, D.C ...
Families across the US can't find childcare — this map shows where it's ...
Families across the US can't find childcare — this map shows where it's worst By Madison Hoff You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. A new analysis finds that about half of young children in the US live in a childcare desert. Vanessa Nunes/Getty Images 2026-05-04T19:57:10.629Z Finding childcare is a struggle for many Americans due to affordability and a lack of providers. A new report found it's harder to access licensed childcare in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Kansas. One of the authors told Business Insider both supply and demand challenges need to be addressed. Parenting is a hard job, and for many Americans, there aren't many options to get professional childcare help. "Nearly half of all young children in the US live in a childcare desert, meaning they live in an area of the country where there is not sufficient licensed childcare," Casey Peeks, the senior director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress and one of the authors of a recent report on the geography of childcare, told Business Insider.Childcare deserts are highly prevalent in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Kansas. A fact sheet about the results cautions that "Differences in state child care licensing and registration requirements directly affect measures of child care access and desert designations," suggesting that comparisons across states are less reliable than within them. The report said 70% of young children living in remote rural areas are in childcare deserts, an increase from the policy institute's previous report published in 2018.Peeks said that attracting workers to childcare jobs is a major issue. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed there were an estimated 520,180 childcare workers in the US as of May 2024. The median annual wage for this job was $32,050, below the overall national median of $49,500. Meanwhile, families are struggling to afford care. Child Care Aware of America said the average price for care was $13,128 in 2024. "It would take 10% of a married couple with children's median income to afford this national average price," the organization said.Peeks said there needs to be solutions for both the supply and demand sides of the childcare crisis, which would mean making care more affordable, investing in facilities, and boosting childcare workers' compensation.She said that even in centers that have space to serve more children, they may not be able to because "they can't find...
America's Licensed Child Care Deserts - Center for American Progress
Eight years after our initial report, CAP's 2026 analyses of U.S. licensed child care supply reveal that just fewer than half of the nation's young children still live in child care deserts.
The Friday Five: The Latest Child Care and Early Learning News
The child care and early learning news you don't want to miss. Check here for updates every Friday for the latest.
