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 $12,635 a year in the typical county in Washington, or $1,053 a month, 1.6 times the $8,040 for the typical county nationally. Care for a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old comes to about $24,071 a year. The cost of care for one preschooler is 14.3% 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 Washington's 39 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 21.3% of the total in the typical county. In 2 counties, 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 Washington costs.
Care for a 4-year-old costs most in King County ($23,707), Skagit County ($17,653) and Snohomish County ($17,653), and least in Whitman County ($10,519), Pend Oreille County ($10,519) and Okanogan County ($10,519). Metro counties are priced at child care centers, other counties at home-based family child care.
| Adams County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 14.9% |
| Asotin County | $13,172 | $1,098 | $24,070 | 16.0% |
| Benton County | $12,635 | $1,053 | $21,886 | 12.2% |
| Chelan County | $13,172 | $1,098 | $24,070 | 14.3% |
| Clallam County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 14.8% |
| Clark County | $15,143 | $1,262 | $26,800 | 13.9% |
| Columbia County | $12,148 | $1,012 | $23,268 | 12.0% |
| Cowlitz County | $15,143 | $1,262 | $26,800 | 17.5% |
| Douglas County | $13,172 | $1,098 | $24,070 | 14.7% |
| Ferry County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 14.1% |
| Franklin County | $12,635 | $1,053 | $21,886 | 14.3% |
| Garfield County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 12.1% |
| Grant County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 13.3% |
| Grays Harbor County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 15.6% |
| Island County | $14,225 | $1,185 | $27,478 | 13.5% |
| Jefferson County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 12.7% |
| King County | $23,707 | $1,976 | $41,279 | 15.3% |
| Kitsap County | $15,151 | $1,263 | $37,931 | 13.2% |
| Kittitas County | $12,148 | $1,012 | $23,268 | 12.2% |
| Klickitat County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 14.4% |
| Lewis County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 14.7% |
| Lincoln County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 12.5% |
| Mason County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 13.7% |
| Okanogan County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 14.5% |
| Pacific County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 15.0% |
| Pend Oreille County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 13.6% |
| Pierce County | $15,151 | $1,263 | $37,931 | 13.6% |
| San Juan County | $14,225 | $1,185 | $27,478 | 13.6% |
| Skagit County | $17,653 | $1,471 | $29,796 | 17.8% |
| Skamania County | $15,143 | $1,262 | $26,800 | 14.5% |
| Snohomish County | $17,653 | $1,471 | $29,796 | 13.8% |
| Spokane County | $13,875 | $1,156 | $28,147 | 14.7% |
| Stevens County | $13,172 | $1,098 | $24,070 | 16.1% |
| Thurston County | $15,143 | $1,262 | $26,800 | 13.5% |
| Wahkiakum County | $12,489 | $1,041 | $24,071 | 18.9% |
| Walla Walla County | $12,635 | $1,053 | $21,886 | 13.9% |
| Whatcom County | $17,653 | $1,471 | $29,796 | 17.2% |
| Whitman County | $10,519 | $877 | $20,300 | 11.6% |
| Yakima County | $12,635 | $1,053 | $21,886 | 16.5% |
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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