Avg Infant (Center)
$17,920 /yr
Across 58 California counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Center-based infant care averages $17,920 a year across California's 58 reporting counties, 87% above the national average.
California vs. the nation
Across California's 58 counties, center-based infant care averages $17,920 a year - 87% above the national average of $9,592, making California the 43th-cheapest of 45 states with data. Within the state, county prices run from $11,533 to $31,544.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices (2022). Affordability benchmark: HHS (7% of family income).
Avg Infant (Center)
$17,920 /yr
Across 58 California counties
Avg Toddler (Center)
$12,300 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$11,385 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$11,533 – $31,544
Lowest to highest county
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Bar shows California infant care as a share of an $80,000 reference household income. The dark marker shows the HHS 7% threshold — anything past it is officially "unaffordable" by federal definition.
Counties with the lowest infant care costs in California, starting at $11,533/yr
Counties with the highest infant care costs in California, up to $31,544/yr
Across California's 58 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $17,920/year and toddler care averages $12,300/year — with preschool-age children at $11,385/year. The county-to-county spread ranges from $11,533 at the lowest end to $31,544 at the highest, a difference of $20,011 per year for the same age group. That variation is driven by local market rents, teacher wage floors, and whether the county has a metropolitan core pulling provider costs upward. Every licensed center and family childcare home in California operates under a single state licensing authority, meaning the core ratios, training hours, and background-check rules are uniform statewide — what varies is density (number of licensed slots per 100 children) and subsidy acceptance.
Licensing in California covers two primary provider categories: child care centers (commercial facilities serving more than a small family group) and family child care homes (operated out of a private residence with a capped enrollment of typically 6-12 children depending on helper assistance). Infant ratios cluster at 1:3 or 1:4 nationally, with the tightest ratios driving center costs higher because infant rooms cannot spread labor across more children. School-age care — covering the 6-12 ages for before- and after-school plus summer programs — averages lower per hour but is often bundled into full-time summer rates that push annual figures up. Families should note that listed rates here are full-time year-round annualized; part-time schedules (2-3 days/week) are typically charged at ~70% of full-time rather than pro-rated by day.
To find a licensed provider in any California county, start with the state's Child Care Resource and Referral network — this is the official intake point for both provider searches and CCDF subsidy applications. Use the rankings links above to identify counties where tuition is manageable or where market-rate pressure is heaviest. For enrollment, request each provider's most recent inspection report (public record), their staff-to-child ratios in practice (not just the licensed maximum), their QRIS star rating if the state operates a quality rating system, and their subsidy policy. Federal affordability data uses the 7% of household income benchmark; the California average pulls most counties well above that line, which is why Head Start (free for families under 100% of federal poverty line), state pre-K (free for 4-year-olds in many jurisdictions), and employer-side Dependent Care FSAs ($5,000/year pre-tax) remain essential cost-offset tools.
| County | Infant /yr | Toddler /yr | Preschool /yr | % of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $26,827 | $19,293 | $21,233 | 21.9% |
| Alpine County | $18,509 | $9,684 | $8,728 | 18.3% |
| Amador County | $12,218 | $9,683 | $7,564 | 16.3% |
| Butte County | $18,410 | $11,247 | $9,313 | 27.9% |
| Calaveras County | $15,131 | $10,203 | $8,449 | 19.5% |
| Colusa County | $13,768 | $9,595 | $7,945 | 19.8% |
| Contra Costa County | $25,052 | $17,980 | $19,788 | 20.9% |
| Del Norte County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.1% |
| El Dorado County | $23,398 | $15,088 | $11,838 | 23.6% |
| Fresno County | $21,611 | $12,990 | $10,554 | 31.9% |
| Glenn County | $12,387 | $9,460 | $7,833 | 19.3% |
| Humboldt County | $19,044 | $12,040 | $9,969 | 32.9% |
| Imperial County | $11,533 | $9,125 | $8,383 | 21.4% |
| Inyo County | $18,765 | $11,055 | $9,154 | 29.6% |
| Kern County | $18,337 | $10,716 | $8,873 | 28.7% |
| Kings County | $13,547 | $9,584 | $7,936 | 19.8% |
| Lake County | $13,594 | $10,200 | $8,446 | 24.2% |
| Lassen County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.6% |
| Los Angeles County | $13,363 | $11,480 | $11,699 | 16.0% |
| Madera County | $17,239 | $9,790 | $8,107 | 23.4% |
| Marin County | $28,504 | $20,474 | $22,534 | 20.1% |
| Mariposa County | $13,224 | $9,551 | $7,909 | 22.0% |
| Mendocino County | $14,459 | $10,541 | $8,729 | 23.6% |
| Merced County | $12,716 | $10,364 | $8,582 | 19.6% |
| Modoc County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 21.2% |
| Mono County | $19,237 | $12,501 | $14,710 | 23.4% |
| Monterey County | $20,953 | $13,118 | $10,277 | 23.0% |
| Napa County | $19,608 | $13,746 | $12,388 | 18.5% |
| Nevada County | $16,469 | $11,053 | $10,452 | 20.7% |
| Orange County | $20,473 | $14,647 | $13,200 | 18.7% |
| Placer County | $23,344 | $15,419 | $12,098 | 21.3% |
| Plumas County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 17.2% |
| Riverside County | $21,043 | $12,384 | $9,814 | 24.9% |
| Sacramento County | $18,040 | $11,512 | $13,546 | 21.5% |
| San Benito County | $20,071 | $12,001 | $13,207 | 19.2% |
| San Bernardino County | $19,981 | $11,511 | $8,996 | 25.8% |
| San Diego County | $19,719 | $13,999 | $12,616 | 20.3% |
| San Francisco County | $31,544 | $22,539 | $24,806 | 23.1% |
| San Joaquin County | $20,108 | $12,289 | $9,627 | 24.3% |
| San Luis Obispo County | $18,786 | $12,040 | $14,167 | 20.8% |
| San Mateo County | $28,837 | $20,655 | $22,733 | 19.2% |
| Santa Barbara County | $23,532 | $16,070 | $12,590 | 25.5% |
| Santa Clara County | $27,411 | $19,378 | $21,327 | 17.8% |
| Santa Cruz County | $24,798 | $16,941 | $13,292 | 23.8% |
| Shasta County | $12,910 | $9,472 | $11,146 | 18.9% |
| Sierra County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.1% |
| Siskiyou County | $13,802 | $10,600 | $11,489 | 25.6% |
| Solano County | $22,030 | $14,149 | $11,103 | 22.7% |
| Sonoma County | $12,647 | $10,410 | $10,610 | 12.7% |
| Stanislaus County | $16,449 | $11,353 | $8,894 | 22.0% |
| Sutter County | $15,947 | $10,230 | $12,039 | 21.9% |
| Tehama County | $12,261 | $9,442 | $7,818 | 20.8% |
| Trinity County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 24.7% |
| Tulare County | $12,494 | $9,928 | $8,221 | 19.4% |
| Tuolumne County | $14,010 | $10,779 | $8,420 | 19.9% |
| Ventura County | $22,085 | $14,136 | $15,557 | 21.6% |
| Yolo County | $20,135 | $13,779 | $16,215 | 23.7% |
| Yuba County | $18,987 | $11,400 | $9,263 | 28.5% |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Costs shown are annual estimates U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Costs shown are annual estimates
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.