KEY TAKEAWAYS: Infant child care in Louisiana costs about $8,873 annually, or $739 per month. Care for a 4-year-old averages $8,153 annually, while school-age care averages $5,841. Louisiana had 1,528 licensed child care centers in 2025, down from 1,554 in 2024. Louisiana families spend an est imated 10.5% of annual median family income on child care.   The cost of child care is rising across the U.S., with prices putting strain on families and making adequate child care out of reach for many. Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) found that the national annual average price of child care in 2025 was $13,184, up from $13,128 in 2024, and that the number of licensed child care centers in the U.S. decreased by 1%. As of 2025, Louisiana has 1,528 licensed child care centers, which is a decrease from 1,554 licensed centers in 2024, according to CCAoA. Why is child care so expensive? How much it costs in Louisiana In Louisiana, the annual cost of child care for an infant is approximately $8,873 and $8,153 for a four year old, according to World Population Review. That means child care for an infant costs $739 each month and care for a four year old costs about $679 each month. For school-aged children, the average cost of child care is around $5,841 annually and $487 monthly, according to TOOTRiS, a platform that connects parents with a network of child care providers. In Louisiana, the annual median family income is $84,171 and families spend approximately 10.5% of annual income on child care, says World Population Review. Factors influencing child care cost include staff-to-child ratios, operational costs and limited public funding, according to Zero to Three, a national non-profit dedicated to early childhood development. States with the highest and lowest cost of child care Here are the states with the highest and lowest child care cost, and how much child care for an infantcosts annually, according to World Population Review: District of Columbia: $28,356 Massachusetts: $26,709 Minnesota: $22,569 California: $21,945 Colorado: $21,840 Hawaii: $21,167 Alaska: $20,943 Washington: $20,677 Connecticut: $20,254 Oregon: $19,064 Maryland: $18,946 Vermont: $18,836 New Jersey: $18,155 New Hampshire: $17,364 New York: $17,361 Ohio: $17,071 Wisconsin: $16,956 Rhode Island: $16,758 Delaware: $16,220 Illinois: $16,107 Nevada: $15,950 Arizona: $15,625 Indiana: $14,471 Virginia: $14,277 New Mexico: $14,244 Nebraska: $14,106 Pennsylvania: $13,354 Maine: $13,310 Missouri: $13,173 Utah: $13,094 Florida: $13,021 Montana: $12,778 Oklahoma: $12,468 North Dakota: $12,373 Tennessee: $12,249 Georgia: $11,863 North Carolina: $11,720 South Carolina: $11,512 Texas: $10,706 Michigan: $10,023 West Virginia: $9,692 Idaho: $9,630 Iowa: $9,605 Wyoming: $9,327 Kansas: $9,105 Arkansas: $8,873 Louisiana: $8,873 Kentucky: $8,756 South Dakota: $8,680 Alabama: $7,871 Mississippi: $6,868   Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at [email protected] This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Childcare is expensive, but in Louisiana this average cost is lower Reporting by Presley Bo Tyler, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less