Raising A Child Is Getting Even More Expensive In MA

Massachusetts is now the eighth most expensive state to raise a child in, according to a study from personal finance website WalletHub.

Last year, WalletHub had Massachusetts ranked 10th in the nation.

Related: MA Among Most Expensive For Child Care Nationwide, New Report Says

In the Bay State, couples pay a median of 9% of their income for family-based child care and 13% of their income for center-based care.

The news is worse for single parents: Massachusetts ranks second in the country in that category. Family-based care eats up 35% of a single parent's income; center-based care is at a whopping 50% of median income.

“It costs a lot of money to take care of a child’s needs, and many parents are left with the dilemma of whether to forgo one salary to do their own child care for the first few years or to shell out a significant chunk of their income for child care services," WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.

Rising living expenses and evolving gender roles have made dual-income houses the norm, according to WalletHub. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 66% of families have both parents employed, which makes child care a necessity.

Here are the most expensive states in the country for couples needing child care:

1. Nebraska
2. California
3. New York
4. Oregon
5. Washington
6. Wisconsin
7. Montana
8. Massachusetts
9. New Mexico
10. Hawaii

Read the full WalletHub story by clicking here.

Read more: How Hard Health Care Hits MA Family Budgets