For many Minnesota families, the biggest challenge of raising kids isn’t bedtime battles; it’s the steep price tag that comes with childcare. Raising kids in Minnesota isn’t just about sleepless nights and those non-stop school runs; it’s also about managing one of the steepest hidden costs families face. The study also says that families here in the Gopher State currently spend 28.37 percent of their monthly income on childcare costs. That puts us at #5 on the list and works out to an average of $14,435 a year that Minnesota families currently spend on center-based childcare. It came in last on the list, with healthcare costs that average around 12 percent-- under *half* of the 34 percent that Minnesota families spend.