Concord, N.H. – The price of child care in New Hampshire continued to rise in 2025 while the number of providers declined, placing growing financial pressure on Granite State families seeking affordable, high-quality care for their children, according to a new analysis from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.
The analysis, which draws from newly released 2025 data from Child Care Aware of America and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, found that the average annual price of center-based care for an infant and a four-year-old in New Hampshire reached about $30,000 in 2025, up from approximately $22,500 in 2017. During the same period, the number of licensed child care providers statewide declined by 120 programs (14%)
“Child care remains one of the largest expenses many New Hampshire families face, particularly for households with multiple young children,” said NHFPI Senior Policy Analyst Dow Drukker, author of the analysis. “As costs continue to rise and provider options decline, many families are forced to make difficult decisions about work, finances, and care options.”
Key findings include:
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The average annual price of center-based care in 2025 was approximately $16,462 for an infant and $15,262 for a toddler. For a married couple with two children under age 5 earning the median family income in New Hampshire, paying these prices would consume about one-quarter of annual household income, while for a single mother earning the median income for unmarried mothers in New Hampshire, they would amount to approximately 61 percent of annual income.
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Since 2017, the average price of center-based and home-based child care increased 32 percent and 30 percent, respectively, outpacing inflation during the same period.
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The number of licensed home-based child care programs declined 32 percent between 2017 and 2025, while licensed center-based programs declined 10 percent.
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Families in rural regions, households with low and moderate incomes, and families seeking care outside of traditional hours may be disproportionately affected by shrinking provider availability.
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While infant and toddler care are often among the most expensive forms of care, many families continue facing child care expenses for years including before- and after-school programs, summer care, and school vacation coverage.
The analysis also notes that, while New Hampshire expanded eligibility for its Child Care Scholarship Program in 2024 to help more families and providers access expanded assistance, many providers continue to face significant financial pressures tied to staffing, operating costs, and the challenge of delivering high-quality care.
“Programs like the Child Care Scholarship Program play an important role in helping families afford care, but providers and families alike continue to face substantial economic challenges,” Drukker said. “Additional policy strategies and public investment could help improve affordability and expand access to care across the state.”
You can read the full analysis at https://nhfpi.org/blog/annual-price-of-child-care-for-granite-state-children-remains-high-as-number-of-providers-decline/.
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