HONOLULU (KHON2) — Childcare costs in Hawaiʻi are amongst the highest in the United States, especially for married couples. According to a new 2025 report on Childcare Costs by State, Hawaiʻi ranks #8 in the U.S. for the highest percentage of income spent on early childcare and day care.
The report compares the price of care to the median annual income and includes both family-based and center-based care options.
The report found that married couples in Hawaiʻi spend 8.15% of their yearly income on early childcare and 13.46% on center-based day care.
Here’s what the report found in the study:
Childcare takes a larger share of income for single parents
The numbers are even more stark for single-parent families in Hawaiʻi. The research shows that early childcare eats up 23.38% of a single parent’s income. For day care at a childcare center, that number jumps to 38.60%.
Only seven states rank higher than Hawaiʻi when it comes to the percentage of income spent by single-parent families on childcare. At the top of the list is the District of Columbia, where single parents spend more than 50% of their income on childcare.
Essential service, steep price
In most U.S. households with keiki, both parents work. The report notes that 66.5% of families fall into this category. As a result, childcare is not a luxury but rather a necessity.
“It costs a lot of money to take care of a keiki’s needs, and many parents are left with the dilemma of whether to forgo one salary to do their own childcare for the first few years or to shell out a significant chunk of their income for childcare services. Married parents who both work can expect to spend as much as 13% of what they earn on childcare, while single parents’ costs can amount to an astounding 51%,” said Chip Lupo, an analyst for the report.
Comparing across the states
New York ranks No. 1 overall for the highest childcare burden. Married couples there spend up to 12.84% of their income, while single parents spend more than 44%. States like New Mexico, Washington and Oregon also rank high for overall costs.
Hawaiʻi’s rank of #8 reflects how heavily families, especially those with one income, are impacted by the price of care.
You can click here to read the full report.
The report highlights the financial weight childcare places on U.S. families. For Hawaiʻi, that burden is clear across income groups, with families often spending a significant share of their earnings on care for their keiki.