Jun 23, 2025 - News
Texas daycare costs about $21,600 a year for two kids
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The average Texan spends more on child care for two children than on rent every year.
The big picture: The cost of child care in the U.S. rose 29% from 2020 to 2024, outpacing overall inflation.
- The average annual cost of daycare tuition nationwide for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to $28,168 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group.
Zoom in: The average cost of child care in Texas is nearly $21,600 for an infant and a toddler, or about 27% of the median household annual income in the state.
- That's lower than the national average of 35%, based on Census Bureau data released in 2024.
By the numbers: The average annual cost of daycare for two children is about $5,500 more than the average cost of rent in Texas, per Child Care Aware data.
- Daycare costs about $2,570 less a year than the average Texan's mortgage payments.