Private childcare establishments per 1,000 children in rural areas have increased but are now less than in urban areas

The number of private childcare establishments per 1,000 children in rural areas rose from 2018 to 2022 but lagged that of urban areas. USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) researchers examined two consecutive 5-year periods (2013–17 and 2018–22) and found rural areas had 3.8 private childcare establishments per 1,000 children under 5 years old in 2018–22, up from 3.7 in 2013–17. At the same time, the number of urban private childcare establishments per 1,000 children under 5 rose from 3.5 to 3.9, a larger increase than in rural areas. The increase in urban coverage can be attributed to growth in private childcare establishments, even as the number of children under 5 fell. In rural areas, private childcare establishments decreased, but the drop in the number of young children was larger. This chart appears in the ERS report Rural America at a Glance: 2024 Edition, published in November 2024.