Child Care Costs Higher Than Rent for Millions of Americans, Analysis Finds

American families spend between 8.9 precent and 16 percent of their income on full-day care for just one child.Infant care was found to be more expensive than rent in 11 major metropolitan areas. Photo by Tracy Watson11/20/2025|Updated: 11/20/2025Millions of Americans pay more for child care than rent every month, according to a new analysis by online lending marketplace LendingTree.Researchers found that child care costs exceeded the cost of a two-bedroom home or apartment for families with two children in 85 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas examined.Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at [email protected]Author’s Selected Articles