Home / States /

Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in South Dakota

Center-based infant care averages $6,595 a year across South Dakota's 66 reporting counties, 31% below the national average.

$6,595
Avg infant (center)
-31%
Vs. national avg
#4
Cheapest of 45 states

South Dakota vs. the nation

Across South Dakota's 66 counties, center-based infant care averages $6,595 a year - 31% below the national average of $9,592, making South Dakota the 4th-cheapest of 45 states with data. Within the state, county prices run from $6,240 to $9,277.

State avg infant
$6,595/yr
Cheapest county
$6,240
Priciest county
$9,277
State rank
#4 of 45

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices (2022). Affordability benchmark: HHS (7% of family income).

Avg Infant (Center)

$6,595 /yr

Across 66 South Dakota counties

Avg Toddler (Center)

$6,595 /yr

Center-based weighted average

Avg Preschool (Center)

$6,212 /yr

Center-based weighted average

Infant cost spread

$6,240 – $9,277

Lowest to highest county

South Dakota center-based childcare averages by age

Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.

Infant (under 1)$6,595Toddler (1-2)$6,595Preschool (3-5)$6,212
South Dakota infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 41.2%
HHS 7% threshold

Bar shows South Dakota 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.

Childcare Landscape Across South Dakota

Across South Dakota's 66 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $6,595/year and toddler care averages $6,595/year — with preschool-age children at $6,212/year. The county-to-county spread ranges from $6,240 at the lowest end to $9,277 at the highest, a difference of $3,037 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 /yrToddler /yrPreschool /yr% of income
Aurora County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.7%
Beadle County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.8%
Bennett County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 13.9%
Bon Homme County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.8%
Brookings County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 12.1%
Brown County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 11.1%
Brule County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.6%
Buffalo County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 14.5%
Butte County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.7%
Campbell County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.3%
Charles Mix County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.3%
Clark County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.5%
Clay County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 13.9%
Codington County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 11.9%
Corson County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 13.0%
Custer County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.2%
Davison County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 14.0%
Day County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.8%
Deuel County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.1%
Dewey County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 11.3%
Douglas County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.3%
Edmunds County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.1%
Fall River County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 11.4%
Faulk County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 11.0%
Grant County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.8%
Gregory County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 12.9%
Haakon County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 11.7%
Hamlin County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.1%
Hand County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.6%
Hanson County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 7.2%
Harding County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.7%
Hughes County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 9.3%
Hutchinson County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.0%
Hyde County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.0%
Jackson County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 23.9%
Jerauld County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.4%
Jones County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.2%
Kingsbury County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.5%
Lake County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 10.4%
Lawrence County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 12.4%
Lincoln County $9,277 $9,277 $8,694 10.0%
Lyman County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.4%
Marshall County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.4%
McCook County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.3%
McPherson County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.7%
Meade County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.9%
Mellette County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 15.1%
Miner County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.1%
Minnehaha County $9,277 $9,277 $8,694 12.7%
Moody County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.7%
Oglala Lakota County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 19.3%
Pennington County $8,008 $8,008 $7,550 11.8%
Perkins County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.7%
Potter County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.7%
Roberts County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.6%
Sanborn County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.5%
Spink County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.5%
Stanley County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 7.6%
Sully County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 9.3%
Todd County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 18.5%
Tripp County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 11.0%
Turner County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 8.6%
Union County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 9.5%
Walworth County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 10.8%
Yankton County $7,800 $7,800 $7,093 11.3%
Ziebach County $6,240 $6,240 $5,928 13.6%

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