What care costs for a preschooler and for two children, county by county, and how it compares with what families here earn.
Full-time care for a 4-year-old costs about $8,333 a year in the typical county in Louisiana, or $694 a month, 3.6% more than the $8,040 for the typical county nationally. Care for a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old comes to about $15,600 a year. The cost of care for one preschooler is 10.9% of median family income in the typical county.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services counts child care as affordable when it takes no more than 7% of family income. For one 4-year-old, none of Louisiana's 64 counties meet that at the median family income; nationally, 259 of 3,131 counties do. In the budget EPI draws up for two parents and two children, child care is 15.7% of the total in the typical county. In 1 county, care for one preschooler costs more than the family's housing.
Build a budget with your own child care cost, or see the rest of what Louisiana costs.
Care for a 4-year-old costs most in Acadia Parish ($8,922), Bossier Parish ($8,922) and Caddo Parish ($8,922), and least in Beauregard Parish ($6,286), Allen Parish ($6,286) and Webster Parish ($6,360). Metro counties are priced at child care centers, other counties at home-based family child care.
| Acadia Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 13.9% |
| Allen Parish | $6,286 | $524 | $12,876 | 10.4% |
| Ascension Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 7.7% |
| Assumption Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 11.9% |
| Avoyelles Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 12.8% |
| Beauregard Parish | $6,286 | $524 | $12,876 | 8.0% |
| Bienville Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 12.4% |
| Bossier Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 10.6% |
| Caddo Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 13.3% |
| Calcasieu Parish | $8,571 | $714 | $16,297 | 10.2% |
| Caldwell Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 7.9% |
| Cameron Parish | $8,571 | $714 | $16,297 | 10.3% |
| Catahoula Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 10.7% |
| Claiborne Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 14.5% |
| Concordia Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 13.0% |
| De Soto Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 14.7% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | $8,351 | $696 | $16,005 | 9.9% |
| East Carroll Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 17.3% |
| East Feliciana Parish | $7,487 | $624 | $14,331 | 8.2% |
| Evangeline Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 12.1% |
| Franklin Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 11.8% |
| Grant Parish | $8,059 | $672 | $15,359 | 11.4% |
| Iberia Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 13.5% |
| Iberville Parish | $8,351 | $696 | $16,005 | 11.4% |
| Jackson Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 11.4% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | $8,314 | $693 | $15,716 | 11.1% |
| Jefferson Parish | $8,521 | $710 | $16,328 | 10.3% |
| La Salle Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $15,817 | 10.0% |
| Lafayette Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 9.9% |
| Lafourche Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 11.0% |
| Lincoln Parish | $8,415 | $701 | $15,715 | 12.8% |
| Livingston Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 9.9% |
| Madison Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 13.7% |
| Morehouse Parish | $7,862 | $655 | $15,158 | 15.7% |
| Natchitoches Parish | $8,388 | $699 | $15,485 | 12.5% |
| Orleans Parish | $8,521 | $710 | $16,328 | 10.8% |
| Ouachita Parish | $8,733 | $728 | $16,840 | 12.7% |
| Plaquemines Parish | $8,521 | $710 | $16,328 | 9.1% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | $7,487 | $624 | $14,331 | 9.9% |
| Rapides Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 12.8% |
| Red River Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 10.8% |
| Richland Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 10.0% |
| Sabine Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 10.0% |
| St. Bernard Parish | $8,521 | $710 | $16,328 | 12.5% |
| St. Charles Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 8.7% |
| St. Helena Parish | $8,059 | $672 | $15,359 | 13.4% |
| St. James Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 9.7% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 10.4% |
| St. Landry Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 11.4% |
| St. Martin Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 12.4% |
| St. Mary Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 9.9% |
| St. Tammany Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 9.5% |
| Tangipahoa Parish | $8,922 | $744 | $17,033 | 12.1% |
| Tensas Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 12.6% |
| Terrebonne Parish | $8,517 | $710 | $16,223 | 11.3% |
| Union Parish | $7,862 | $655 | $15,158 | 13.2% |
| Vermilion Parish | $8,059 | $672 | $15,359 | 10.8% |
| Vernon Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 9.8% |
| Washington Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 10.8% |
| Webster Parish | $6,360 | $530 | $12,646 | 12.9% |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | $8,351 | $696 | $16,005 | 8.1% |
| West Carroll Parish | $6,388 | $532 | $12,877 | 9.0% |
| West Feliciana Parish | $8,351 | $696 | $16,005 | 9.3% |
| Winn Parish | $6,489 | $541 | $12,978 | 10.3% |
Click a column to sort it. The share compares care for one 4-year-old with the county's median family income. A dash means EPI publishes no income figure for that county.
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