Child day care / Wisconsin
How many child day care services are in Wisconsin?
The Census Bureau counted 1,588 child day care services with paid employees in Wisconsin in 2023. That is 0.5% fewer than in 2017.
WISCONSIN · 2023
The count
1,588
child day care services with paid employees
- Employees
- 19,025
- Average per site
- 12.0
- Change since 2017
- −0.5%
- State rank
- 15 of 51
What the number means
Wisconsin had 1,588 child day care services in 2023, ranking number 15 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Together they employed 19,025 people and paid $544 million in annual payroll, an average of 12.0 employees per site.
These businesses make up 1.10% of every employer establishment in Wisconsin, above the 0.98% national share. A site count is not the same as the number of companies: a chain with 40 locations counts 40 times.
33% of child day care services in Wisconsin have fewer than 5 employees, against 36% across the U.S.
Wisconsin holds 1.9% of the nation's child day care services and 1.7% of all U.S. employer establishments, so, measured against the state's overall size, the trade is over-represented. The most common size class is under 5 employees (523 sites). Average payroll per employee is $28,585, against $29,695 for the U.S. trade.
Size of the businesses
| Employees per site | Share | Sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 523 | 32.9% | |
| 5 to 9 | 331 | 20.8% | |
| 10 to 19 | 415 | 26.1% | |
| 20 to 49 | 293 | 18.5% | |
| 50 to 99 | 23 | 1.4% | |
| 100 to 249 | 3 | 0.2% | |
| 250 to 499 | 0 | 0.0% |
Count since 2017
Index: 2017 = 100. Employer establishments only. 2017 count 1,596; 2019 count 1,584; 2022 count 1,587; 2023 count 1,588. Employment −1.2% since 2017.
Biggest other trades in Wisconsin
| Trade | Sites | Employees | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 4,988 | 87,044 | −0.2% |
| Landscaping services | 2,490 | 13,641 | +21.5% |
| Plumbing and HVAC contractors | 1,944 | 23,507 | +1.9% |
| General auto repair | 1,871 | 8,948 | −0.7% |
| Beauty salons | 1,592 | 8,345 | −13.4% |
| Janitorial services | 1,267 | 19,387 | +8.5% |
| Coffee shops and snack bars | 1,243 | 13,801 | +39.0% |
| Fitness centers | 836 | 17,773 | +16.9% |
Child day care in nearby ranks
| State | Sites | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 2,309 | 12 |
| Michigan | 2,090 | 13 |
| Virginia | 1,977 | 14 |
| Oregon | 1,517 | 16 |
| Maryland | 1,505 | 17 |
| Minnesota | 1,473 | 18 |
All states for child day care services · Every trade in Wisconsin
Questions
How many child day care services are in Wisconsin?
The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 1,588 child day care services with paid employees in Wisconsin in 2023. That ranks Wisconsin number 15 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Is the number of child day care services in Wisconsin growing?
Between 2017 and 2023 the count shrank (0.5%), from 1,596 to 1,588. Across the United States the count changed by +6.1% over the same period. These years include the 2020 pandemic.
Does this count include self-employed owners with no staff?
No. County Business Patterns covers establishments with at least one paid employee. A sole proprietor with no employees is counted in a separate Census series called Nonemployer Statistics, which this site does not use yet, so the real number of people working in this trade is higher than the figure shown.
Read this before using the number
These counts describe how many businesses already exist. They say nothing about demand, profit, competition near you or how much any owner earns, and we make no estimate of income. Check local licensing, costs and rules before acting on any figure here. See the disclaimer.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (2023; change measured against 2017, 2019 and 2022). Establishments with paid employees only; employment and payroll carry Census noise infusion. Retrieved November 2, 2026. Method and sources.