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This table compares each state’s population of children under 5 with its number of employer child care establishments and nonemployer child care businesses. Across the 50 states and D.C., 18,365,047 children under 5 divided by 82,162 employer establishments gives about 224 children per establishment. Use these ratios to compare business density; they do not count licensed places or open seats.
The highest children-per-employer-establishment ratios are Nevada (424), Arizona (408), Tennessee (330), Texas (313), and Utah (307). The lowest are Maine (87), Vermont (99), Montana (111), Wyoming (116), and North Dakota (117). Including nonemployer businesses, Hawaii has the highest ratio (74), followed by Utah (50), New Mexico (48), Idaho (48), and Delaware (46).
Children under 5 per child care provider, all 50 states and D.C.
| State | Children under 5 | Employer child care establishments | Children per establishment | Nonemployer child care businesses | Children per combined business count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 285,758 | 988 | 289 | 6,045 | 41 |
| Alaska | 44,922 | 173 | 260 | 983 | 39 |
| Arizona | 393,963 | 965 | 408 | 9,216 | 39 |
| Arkansas | 176,599 | 728 | 243 | 4,008 | 37 |
| California | 2,083,154 | 9,670 | 215 | 89,457 | 21 |
| Colorado | 306,464 | 1,239 | 247 | 7,061 | 37 |
| Connecticut | 179,896 | 948 | 190 | 6,560 | 24 |
| Delaware | 54,788 | 349 | 157 | 838 | 46 |
| District of Columbia | 39,498 | 303 | 130 | 991 | 31 |
| Florida | 1,146,626 | 4,651 | 247 | 32,708 | 31 |
| Georgia | 612,543 | 2,449 | 250 | 19,628 | 28 |
| Hawaii | 76,057 | 267 | 285 | 759 | 74 |
| Idaho | 110,595 | 504 | 219 | 1,817 | 48 |
| Illinois | 655,117 | 3,138 | 209 | 27,456 | 21 |
| Indiana | 403,534 | 1,435 | 281 | 8,843 | 39 |
| Iowa | 186,076 | 895 | 208 | 8,692 | 19 |
| Kansas | 171,018 | 583 | 293 | 5,392 | 29 |
| Kentucky | 261,525 | 925 | 283 | 4,767 | 46 |
| Louisiana | 271,498 | 1,040 | 261 | 8,839 | 27 |
| Maine | 58,509 | 674 | 87 | 1,537 | 26 |
| Maryland | 350,973 | 1,505 | 233 | 10,599 | 29 |
| Massachusetts | 346,996 | 2,309 | 150 | 8,307 | 33 |
| Michigan | 524,888 | 2,090 | 251 | 14,763 | 31 |
| Minnesota | 318,595 | 1,473 | 216 | 9,845 | 28 |
| Mississippi | 163,692 | 808 | 203 | 6,931 | 21 |
| Missouri | 343,005 | 1,463 | 234 | 8,419 | 35 |
| Montana | 53,955 | 488 | 111 | 1,442 | 28 |
| Nebraska | 121,522 | 739 | 164 | 4,657 | 23 |
| Nevada | 169,737 | 400 | 424 | 5,333 | 30 |
| New Hampshire | 61,710 | 447 | 138 | 985 | 43 |
| New Jersey | 525,751 | 2,466 | 213 | 13,510 | 33 |
| New Mexico | 103,356 | 449 | 230 | 1,706 | 48 |
| New York | 1,039,067 | 6,702 | 155 | 43,004 | 21 |
| North Carolina | 604,897 | 2,612 | 232 | 11,894 | 42 |
| North Dakota | 43,600 | 374 | 117 | 1,978 | 19 |
| Ohio | 652,242 | 2,813 | 232 | 16,640 | 34 |
| Oklahoma | 241,245 | 1,055 | 229 | 5,514 | 37 |
| Oregon | 197,191 | 1,517 | 130 | 5,379 | 29 |
| Pennsylvania | 660,513 | 3,823 | 173 | 10,895 | 45 |
| Rhode Island | 51,425 | 279 | 184 | 1,561 | 28 |
| South Carolina | 293,334 | 1,042 | 282 | 7,106 | 36 |
| South Dakota | 53,584 | 280 | 191 | 2,019 | 23 |
| Tennessee | 410,205 | 1,242 | 330 | 10,418 | 35 |
| Texas | 1,951,749 | 6,242 | 313 | 50,317 | 35 |
| Utah | 229,016 | 745 | 307 | 3,801 | 50 |
| Vermont | 26,820 | 272 | 99 | 955 | 22 |
| Virginia | 471,514 | 1,977 | 238 | 12,661 | 32 |
| Washington | 418,515 | 2,386 | 175 | 7,641 | 42 |
| West Virginia | 86,422 | 407 | 212 | 1,965 | 36 |
| Wisconsin | 303,044 | 1,588 | 191 | 7,029 | 35 |
| Wyoming | 28,344 | 245 | 116 | 725 | 29 |
How to read this — and how not to
- Business density, not capacity: a large center and a small business each count as one. These businesses can also serve children older than five. The ratios do not measure licensed places, vacancies, waiting lists, or unmet demand.
- Nonemployer does not mean licensed home daycare: Census counts businesses with no paid employees that meet its tax and receipts criteria. These include sole proprietorships and some partnerships and corporations. The classification does not establish home location or licensing status.
- Data vintages: population is from the 2024 ACS 1-year estimates; employer establishments and nonemployer businesses are from 2023. The industry filters are NAICS 2017 code 6244 for employer establishments and NAICS 2022 code 62441 for nonemployers. Care classified in other industries is outside these counts.
- Planning use: compare these figures with local licensed capacity, enrollment, family schedules, staffing and property costs. Our state daycare guides explain licensing, childcare prices by state provides historical price context, and daycare industry statistics covers the wider industry.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have the least childcare relative to young children?
In this business-density comparison, Nevada has the highest under-five population per employer child care establishment (424), followed by Arizona (408), Tennessee (330), Texas (313), and Utah (307). Including nonemployer businesses, Hawaii has the highest ratio (74). These figures do not identify the states with the fewest licensed seats or vacancies.
Which states have the most childcare providers per child?
Maine has the lowest under-five population per employer child care establishment (87), followed by Vermont (99), Montana (111), Wyoming (116), and North Dakota (117). Establishment size varies, so this is a comparison of business density rather than available childcare places.
Is this the same as a childcare desert measure?
No. This measure divides under-five population by business counts. It does not count licensed childcare places or children needing care, which are necessary to assess capacity gaps.
What do these numbers mean for opening a daycare?
A higher ratio means more young children relative to counted businesses. Use it to frame local research: check licensed capacity, age groups, vacancies, parent schedules, tuition, staffing and property costs before estimating enrollment or revenue.
Sources
| Source | What it provides |
|---|---|
| U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B01001 | Population under 5 by state: variable B01001_003E (male under 5) plus B01001_027E (female under 5), pulled from the ACS 1-year API. See the ACS program page for methodology and margins of error. |
| U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 | Employer child care establishments by state, NAICS 6244 Child Day Care Services, pulled from the CBP 2023 API. |
| U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2023 | Nonemployer child care businesses by state, NAICS 2022 code 62441, from the Nonemployer Statistics API. See the Census definition of nonemployer businesses. |
We calculated both ratios from the Census series linked above and rounded to the nearest whole number. On September 11, 2026, all 153 population and business counts across the 51 rows matched fresh Census API responses, and all 102 ratios were recalculated. This measures business density, not licensed capacity or open slots.