In the nation’s capital, where the price of nearly everything feels inflated, child care 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, 71% more than the region’s average rent.
The fallout from the federal shutdown is making the pressure even worse. As of Nov. 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 child care market where prices outpace salaries for many workers.
Nationally, the LendingTree analysis found that the cost of infant care exceeds rent in 11 cities and that the price of caring for an infant and a 4-year-old is higher than rent in 85 cities. Washington ranks 14th on that list.
The average D.C. area family with two children is paying $1,601 more per month for child care than for housing.
Baltimore, also in the region, reports infant care costs of $2,084 compared with rent of $1,857, a 12% 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 child care.”
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 child care nationwide jumped more than 13%. 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 child care 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 child care 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.