Childcare Costs
Across America
Public-data reference. for PlainChildcare.
County-by-county US childcare costs: center vs family by age group (infant-school-age), with affordability calcs & rankings from DOL data.
Free access to childcare prices for every U.S. county. Compare center-based and family care costs by age group.
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.
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 median childcare costs exceed the HHS-recommended threshold of 7% of median family income. This indicates that most families in that area face a significant financial burden for childcare.
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.