Child care · Georgia

Child care costs in Georgia

Georgia families paid an average of $11,066 a year for full-time infant care at a center in 2024, about $922 a month. Home-based family child care averaged $8,407. That is 13.8% of the state median household income, among the 10 most affordable of 50 ranked states.

$11,066center infant care, per year
$8,407home-based infant care, per year
13.8%of median household income (center)
$922center infant care, per month

Georgia child care prices by age

Average price of full-time child care in Georgia, 2024
AgeCenter, per yearCenter, per monthHome-based, per yearHome-based, per month
Infant$11,066$922$8,407$701
Toddler$10,537$878$8,043$670
4-year-old$9,573$798$7,802$650

— means Georgia did not report that price. Monthly figures are the yearly average divided by 12. Source: Child Care Aware of America, Child Care in America: 2024 Affordability Analysis, Tables I and II.

How Georgia compares

How Georgia compares
Center infant price rank41st highest of 50 (50 states and DC with a price); middle state $15,080
Median household income, 2024$79,991 (margin of error ±$633); U.S. $81,604
Center infant care as share of that income13.8% (about 7.2 weeks of pay)
Home-based infant care as share of income10.5%
Affordability rank45 of 50 ranked (1 = least affordable)

Ranks and income shares come from the Baby Money Report 2027; income is the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 1-year median household income (B19013) for all households, not only families with babies. Every state side by side: child care costs by state.

Ways to cut the bill in Georgia

If your employer offers a dependent care FSA, you can pay up to $7,500 of care with pre-tax pay in 2026 (IRS Publication 15-B). The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit covers 20% to 50% of up to $3,000 in care for one child. Which one saves more depends on your income: try the FSA vs. credit calculator, and see every credit on the 2026 baby tax benefits page.

Georgia has no state paid family leave, so the weeks before care starts are unpaid unless your employer pays: what Georgia parents get instead. To add care, leave and credits into one year-one number, use the baby budget calculator set to Georgia.

Sources: Child Care Aware of America, U.S. Census Bureau. Data free to reuse: JSON.

Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources: Child Care Aware of America, U.S. Census Bureau.

Cite this page: This Mom, “Child Care Costs in Georgia”, thismom.com/child-care-costs/georgia/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.