What does childcare really cost in your county?
Center-based infant care averages $9,592 a year nationwide, about 15.2% of a typical family's income. Look up real prices by age and care type for any of 2,662 priced U.S. counties.
The national picture
Across 2,662 U.S. counties, center-based infant care averages $9,592 a year - 15.2% of the typical family's income, more than double the 7% the federal government calls affordable. Prices swing from $4,704 in Wayne County, KY to $31,544 in San Francisco County, CA, a 6.7× gap between the cheapest and priciest county in America.
- Avg infant care
- $9,592/yr
- Share of income
- 15.2%
- Cheapest county
- $4,704
- Priciest county
- $31,544
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices (2022, latest release). Affordability benchmark: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (7% of family income).
- 3,224
- Counties
- 45
- States
- $9,592
- Avg Infant (Center)
- $8,087
- Avg Preschool (Center)
National center-based childcare costs by age (US average)
Annual per-child average across all reporting counties. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices.
Average center-based infant care rose 38% in nominal dollars, from $6,940 in 2008 to $9,593 in 2022. Source: DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.
What to do with this
Childcare cost is mostly about where you live and what help you qualify for, start with your own county and income.
- 100% of priced counties charge more than the federal 7%-of-income affordability line. See exactly where your county and household income land. Affordability calculator
- The cheapest-to-priciest county gap is 6.7×, so location is the single biggest lever on price. Compare the cheapest and costliest counties nationwide. See the rankings
- If care is straining the budget, federal and state programs (CCDF, Head Start) can cut it sharply. Check whether your family is likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.
Browse by State
Learn & Explore
Go beyond the data with our in-depth guides on childcare costs, tax credits, and finding affordable care.
Childcare Tax Credits Guide
Learn how to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit and reduce your childcare costs at tax time.
Cheapest States for Childcare in 2026
Compare childcare costs across all 50 states and find out which states offer the most affordable options.
Childcare Subsidy Programs Explained
A complete overview of CCDF subsidies, Head Start, and state assistance programs that can lower your costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does PlainChildcare get its childcare cost data?
All data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, which tracks childcare costs by county, age group, and care type across the entire United States.
What does the affordability desert indicator mean?
A county is flagged as a childcare affordability desert when center-based infant care exceeds 20% of median family income, nearly 3× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers affordable. These are the counties where childcare costs are most severe relative to local incomes.
Is PlainChildcare free?
Yes, PlainChildcare is completely free. You can look up childcare costs for any of the 2,662 U.S. counties (of 3,224 total) with reported pricing data in the underlying survey, without any account or subscription.
How often is the childcare cost data updated?
The Department of Labor updates the National Database of Childcare Prices periodically. We update our data when new releases become available, typically reflecting costs from the most recent survey year.
About this data
How PlainChildcare works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainChildcare is a plain-language reference for U.S. childcare costs by county. Every price figure comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP), covering 3,224 counties, with median household income from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey added for affordability context.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull the latest published release of the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, plus Census ACS median household income by county.
- Verify. Match each county record to its FIPS code and cross-check reported price and income figures for consistency before loading.
- Publish. Build per-county and per-state pages showing infant, toddler and preschool care costs alongside local income, unmodified from the source survey.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainChildcare editorial team is independent and accepts no advertising or sponsorship from childcare providers. Found a figure that looks wrong? Reach us via the contact page and we will verify against the source DOL release. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
Where does PlainChildcare get its childcare cost data?
All data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, which tracks childcare costs by county, age group, and care type across the entire United States.
What does the affordability desert indicator mean?
A county is flagged as a childcare affordability desert when center-based infant care exceeds 20% of median family income, nearly 3× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers affordable. These are the counties where childcare costs are most severe relative to local incomes.
Is PlainChildcare free?
Yes, PlainChildcare is completely free. You can look up childcare costs for any of the 2,662 U.S. counties (of 3,224 total) with reported pricing data in the underlying survey, without any account or subscription.
How often is the childcare cost data updated?
The Department of Labor updates the National Database of Childcare Prices periodically. We update our data when new releases become available, typically reflecting costs from the most recent survey year.
Related Guides
Editorial context for the plainchildcare dataset, methodology, comparisons, and deep dives into the underlying records.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
New original research is in preparation. Research index.