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 3,224 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.
Browse by State
Learn & Explore
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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 our 3,224 tracked counties 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.