Childcare access in Washington
Per Center for American Progress methodology · ACS 2019–2023 · Find a daycare in Washington
Statewide
61.3% of children under 5 live in a childcare desert
Worse than the CAP 2018 national baseline of 51.0%.
The numbers behind the classification
- Children under 5
- 437,351
- In a desert tract
- 268,012 (61.3%)
- Counties
- 38
- Desert tracts
- 966 / 1,783
- Licensed providers
- 2,495
- Licensed slots
- 174,257
- Statewide ratio
- 2.51 kids/slot
- National baseline (CAP 2018)
- 51.0%
Access by county
Counties sorted by share of children under 5 in a desert tract, worst first. Counties highlighted with a link have a dedicated access page; the rest are listed for context until they're promoted to full pages.
| County | % in desert | Under 5 | Licensed slots | Kids per slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 100.0% | 168 | 40 | 4.20 |
| Lincoln | 100.0% | 586 | 24 | 24.42 |
| Wahkiakum | 100.0% | 170 | 56 | 3.04 |
| Skamania | 90.7% | 483 | 68 | 7.10 |
| Douglas | 83.4% | 2,734 | 492 | 5.56 |
| Walla Walla | 83.0% | 3,084 | 1,004 | 3.07 |
| Island | 81.7% | 4,285 | 863 | 4.97 |
| Grays Harbor | 80.5% | 3,610 | 1,075 | 3.36 |
| Jefferson | 80.5% | 840 | 166 | 5.06 |
| Klickitat | 80.1% | 1,046 | 150 | 6.97 |
| Pend Oreille | 80.1% | 593 | 147 | 4.03 |
| Franklin | 77.9% | 8,084 | 2,058 | 3.93 |
| Stevens | 77.9% | 2,340 | 408 | 5.74 |
| Grant | 76.7% | 7,253 | 1,490 | 4.87 |
| Skagit | 75.1% | 7,068 | 1,793 | 3.94 |
| Pacific | 74.5% | 803 | 329 | 2.44 |
| Adams | 72.4% | 1,810 | 250 | 7.24 |
| Kitsap | 71.7% | 14,671 | 4,810 | 3.05 |
| Benton | 71.5% | 13,630 | 3,779 | 3.61 |
| Clallam | 71.4% | 3,058 | 978 | 3.13 |
| Mason | 70.2% | 3,384 | 806 | 4.20 |
| Lewis | 68.8% | 4,732 | 1,049 | 4.51 |
| Chelan | 68.5% | 4,441 | 1,255 | 3.54 |
| Whatcom | 67.3% | 10,797 | 3,566 | 3.03 |
| Spokane | 66.7% | 30,694 | 11,580 | 2.65 |
| Cowlitz | 66.5% | 6,401 | 2,164 | 2.96 |
| Clark | 66.2% | 29,132 | 9,386 | 3.10 |
| Ferry | 65.2% | 299 | 63 | 4.75 |
| Snohomish | 64.4% | 50,628 | 18,266 | 2.77 |
| Whitman | 62.0% | 1,941 | 774 | 2.51 |
| Yakima | 60.3% | 18,822 | 6,534 | 2.88 |
| Thurston | 59.9% | 16,139 | 6,281 | 2.57 |
| Pierce | 59.7% | 57,111 | 20,856 | 2.74 |
| Okanogan | 56.7% | 2,373 | 665 | 3.57 |
| Kittitas | 54.9% | 1,921 | 879 | 2.19 |
| King | 48.1% | 120,412 | 69,405 | 1.73 |
| San Juan | 40.5% | 524 | 247 | 2.12 |
| Asotin | 32.6% | 1,284 | 501 | 2.56 |
Looking for a daycare in Washington?
This page measures access at the state and county level. To search licensed daycares with quality ratings, ZIP search, and direct contact information, jump to Childery's Washington directory.