County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Aitkin County, MN

$9,100 a year for center-based infant care - 16.1% of the local median income, against a national average of $9,592.

The going rate for center-based infant care in Aitkin County, MN is $9,100/year, while family childcare is $9,187/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 16.1% of the median household income - exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,372/year, and preschool-age care is $7,644/year.

$9,100
Center Infant/yr
$9,187
Family Infant/yr
$56,406
Median Income
16.1%
% of Income (Infant)

NDCP county market brief

Aitkin County, MN sticker posture in this snapshot

Entity-varying stamps from DOL NDCP county medians and ACS income burden, not a clone nationwide scaffold.

  1. PAR NDCP sticker band
  2. HEAVY HHS income share
  3. #1,346 of 2,662 National infant rank
  4. $9,100 Center infant/yr
  5. $9,187 Family infant/yr
  6. Bradford County Nearest price peer
  7. 8/8 NDCP cells filled
  8. 2022 Survey vintage

Infant-price neighbourhood

Nearest ABS(center_infant) peers in MN (NDCP 2022).

Aitkin (this)$9,100Brown County$9,100Cass County$9,100Chippewa Cou…$9,100Cottonwood C…$9,100Faribault Co…$9,100

Price-band peers

Annual Childcare Costs by Age Group

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $9,100 $9,187
Toddler $8,372 $7,800
Preschool $7,644 $7,973
School Age $5,692 $7,453

Where Aitkin County ranks on infant-care cost

Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices

$9,100 more affordable than 48% of 2,662 US counties

This county $2,500 $32,500 every U.S. county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $2.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices · 2022

Full NDCP Care Ladder in Aitkin County

Complete NDCP ladder under a HEAVY income burden (16.1% of ACS median) - compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.

Age Center Family Center premium
Infant $9,100 $9,187 $-87 (-0.9%)
Toddler $8,372 $7,800 +$572 (+7.3%)
Preschool $7,644 $7,973 $-329 (-4.1%)
School Age $5,692 $7,453 $-1,761 (-23.6%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $30,808/year versus $32,413/year for family care ($1,605 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.6× school-age center care here. Among the 87Minnesota counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Aitkin County ranks #3 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

What These Numbers Mean for Aitkin County Families

Household affordability in Aitkin County tracks against a median income of $56,406, putting infant center care at 16.1% of gross income. The HHS benchmark is 7%, meaning the typical family here exceeds the federal affordability line by 9.1 points.Between 15-20% of income, Aitkin County sits in a high-burden tier where most working families need subsidy help or split shifts to cover care.

For how to vet a licensed provider (inspection reports, QRIS ratings, CCDF subsidy intake), see Choosing Quality Childcare. Rate methodology: how these numbers are computed.

The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 15 years, from 2008 through 2022.

+29.6% since 2008
Infant center care: $7,020 → $9,100
$9,100/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
15 years
Data available (2008–2022)
2008
$7,020
2009
$7,072
2010
$7,124
2011
$8,112
2012
$7,540
2013
$7,150
2014
$6,760
2015
$7,566
2016
$8,372
2017
$8,736
2018
$9,100
2019
$9,100
2020
$9,100
2021
$9,100
2022
$9,100
View full data table (all care types)
Year Ctr Infant
2008 $7,020
2009 $7,072
2010 $7,124
2011 $8,112
2012 $7,540
2013 $7,150
2014 $6,760
2015 $7,566
2016 $8,372
2017 $8,736
2018 $9,100
2019 $9,100
2020 $9,100
2021 $9,100
2022 $9,100

PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. County childcare prices and affordability ratios are computed from NDCP and ACS records for this county. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.