Child care · Vermont
Child care costs in Vermont
A full-time infant spot at a Vermont child care center averaged $18,710 in 2024, or about $1,559 a month. Licensed home-based care was much cheaper at $12,395, $6,315 less. At 22.6% of median household income, Vermont ranks 12th of 50 states for cost burden (1 = least affordable).
Vermont child care prices by age
| Age | Center, per year | Center, per month | Home-based, per year | Home-based, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $18,710 | $1,559 | $12,395 | $1,033 |
| Toddler | $17,988 | $1,499 | $11,952 | $996 |
| 4-year-old | $15,877 | $1,323 | $11,818 | $985 |
— means Vermont 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 Vermont compares
| Center infant price rank | 13th highest of 50 (50 states and DC with a price); middle state $15,080 |
|---|---|
| Median household income, 2024 | $82,730 (margin of error ±$1,846); U.S. $81,604 |
| Center infant care as share of that income | 22.6% (about 11.8 weeks of pay) |
| Home-based infant care as share of income | 15.0% |
| Affordability rank | 12 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 Vermont
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.
Vermont has only a voluntary paid leave plan, so most new parents there are paid for leave only if their employer joined it or pays on its own: paid family leave by state. To add care, leave and credits into one year-one number, use the baby budget calculator set to Vermont.
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 Vermont”, thismom.com/child-care-costs/vermont/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.