Chicago child care costs as much as studio rent
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Monthly child care bills in Chicago can cost more than renting a studio apartment, according to a new report from child care data analysts Beverly Research.
The pricey picture: Tuition for an infant at a licensed Chicago child care center typically runs about $21,613 a year or $1,810 a month, the report says.
Zoom out: Chicago ranked 177th out of 250 U.S. cities in the survey.
- Our yearly costs checked in at about $4,400 above the national median.
Zoom in: The yearly cost of infant care consumes about 20% of the median household income — about $109,400 — for a Chicago family of three.
How it works: The index assigned 1–100 ratings to each city across five categories and gave Chicago a composite score of 44, placing it in the "strained" tier.
- Naperville got a 62, Joliet 47 and Springfield 46.
- In the five categories of affordability, supply, workforce, family strain and policy support, Chicago earned its worst score (14) for affordability and best for supply (63).
Between the lines: Even in our best category, we offer little comfort to those trying to snag a day care slot.
- While nationally the average metro can count on 73 slots per 100 children under five with working parents, Chicago's average is 42, the report says.
- Plus, popular infant day care centers can get booked up 12 to 18 months in advance.
Context: 40.7% of Chicago families with kids are headed by single parents. That's nine points above the 31.8% national rate, according to the report.
What they're saying: The report argues Chicago families face near-coastal child care prices, with working-class neighborhoods on the South and West sides often bearing the heaviest burden.
- "Chicago is the cost paradox sitting at the center of the Midwest's largest metro," the report says.
Reality check: While local tuition numbers can seem steep, don't blame the workers. The report found that they earn a median $16.40 per hour, or 64% of the median wage for local single adults.