Having a child can be pricey, and childcare costs often make up the lion's share of expenses families face. What's more, the average cost of center-based childcare has been rising steadily across the US in recent years.

To show where Americans are paying the most for childcare, Visual Capitalist analyzed 2023 data from Child Care Aware of America to map the average annual price of infant childcare in a licensed center per state.

Center-based childcare for an infant is most expensive in the District of Columbia, where it costs an average of $25,480 a year, or more than 10 percent of a married couple's median income.

There are four other states where the annual price of childcare exceeds $20,000: Massachusetts ($24,005), Hawaii ($22,585), Washington ($20,370) and Minnesota ($20,129).

The most affordable state, on the other hand, is South Dakota, where a year of infant childcare in a licensed center will set you back just $7,862. Mississippi ($8,186) and Alabama ($8,771) follow behind.

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Via Visual Capitalist.