How much does childcare cost in Baltimore County, MD?

Center-based infant care runs $17,955/year in Baltimore County, MD. Infants in a family childcare setting cost $11,924/year, and preschool-age center care is $13,290/year.

Is childcare affordable in Baltimore County, MD?

Baltimore County, MD's median household income is $88,157; center-based infant care eats 20.4% of that. The federal affordability line is 7%. Childcare here exceeds the affordability threshold by 13.4 percentage points.

What is the cheapest childcare option in Baltimore County, MD?

In Baltimore County, MD, a family childcare home is the cheaper preschool option: $10,590/year versus $13,290/year at a center, saving $2,700/year. Family settings typically mean fewer children per caregiver.

How much does before- and after-school care cost in Baltimore County, MD?

Before- and after-school programs for ages 6-12 run $12,098/year at a center in Baltimore County, MD and $9,578/year for family childcare. That covers before-school drop-off, after-school pickup, and summer coverage for working parents.

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County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Baltimore County, MD

Compiled by PlainChildcare

Affordability desert

$17,955 a year for center-based infant care - 20.4% of the local median income, against a national average of $9,592.

All Maryland counties Rankings Methodology

Baltimore County, MD families pay $17,955/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $11,924/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 20.4% of the median household income - exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $13,290/year, and preschool-age care is $13,290/year.

$17,955
Center Infant/yr: $11,924
Family Infant/yr: $88,157
Median Income: 20.4%
% of Income (Infant)

NDCP county market brief

Baltimore County, MD sticker posture in this snapshot

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

PEAK NDCP sticker band
DESERT HHS income share
#2,560 of 2,662 National infant rank
$17,955 Center infant/yr
$11,924 Family infant/yr
Fairfax City Nearest price peer
8/8 NDCP cells filled
2022 Survey vintage

Infant-price neighbourhood

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

Price-band peers

Annual Childcare Costs by Age Group

Age Group	Center-Based	Family Childcare	Difference
Infant	$17,955	$11,924	+$6,031
Toddler	$13,290	$10,590	+$2,700
Preschool	$13,290	$10,590	+$2,700
School Age	$12,098	$9,578	+$2,520

Where Baltimore County ranks on infant-care cost

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

$17,955 more affordable than 4% of 2,662 US counties

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 Baltimore County

Baltimore County fills every age×setting NDCP cell in the PEAK sticker band - center premiums and the infant-to-school-age drop are readable without a second national strip.

Age	Center	Family	Center premium
Infant	$17,955	$11,924	+$6,031 (+50.6%)
Toddler	$13,290	$10,590	+$2,700 (+25.5%)
Preschool	$13,290	$10,590	+$2,700 (+25.5%)
School Age	$12,098	$9,578	+$2,520 (+26.3%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $56,633/year versus $42,682/year for family care ($13,951 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.48× school-age center care here. Among the 24Maryland counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Baltimore County ranks #22 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

What These Numbers Mean for Baltimore County Families

Weighed against a $88,157 median household income, Baltimore County's childcare bill tells an affordability story, putting infant center care at 20.4% of gross income. HHS draws the affordability line at 7% of income, and the typical local family exceeds the federal affordability line by 13.4 points.At over 20% of income, Baltimore County qualifies as an affordability desert, counties where childcare competes with housing and healthcare for household budget share.

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.

Historical Price Trends (2008–2022)

The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 10 years, from 2013 through 2022.

+73.8% since 2013

Infant center care: $10,333 → $17,955

$17,955/yr

Most recent annual cost (2022)

10 years

Data available (2013–2022)

2013

$10,333

2014

$10,478

2015

$10,623

2016

$10,767

2017

$10,912

2018

$12,320

2019

$13,729

2020

$15,137

2021

$16,546

2022

$17,955

View full data table (all care types) ▼

Year	Ctr Infant	Ctr Toddler	Ctr Preschool	Ctr School Age	Fam Infant	Fam Toddler
2008	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2009	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2010	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2011	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2013	$10,333	$7,730	$7,730	$7,368	$7,629	$6,704
2014	$10,478	$7,757	$7,757	$7,280	$7,800	$6,760
2015	$10,623	$7,784	$7,784	$7,192	$7,971	$6,816
2016	$10,767	$7,810	$7,810	$7,103	$8,142	$6,872
2017	$10,912	$7,837	$7,837	$7,015	$8,314	$6,928
2018	$12,320	$8,928	$8,928	$8,031	$9,036	$7,661
2019	$13,729	$10,018	$10,018	$9,048	$9,758	$8,393
2020	$15,137	$11,109	$11,109	$10,065	$10,480	$9,125
2021	$16,546	$12,199	$12,199	$11,081	$11,202	$9,858
2022	$17,955	$13,290	$13,290	$12,098	$11,924	$10,590

Nearest infant-price counties in Maryland

Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Baltimore County's PEAK NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.

Anne Arundel County, MD

Infant: $17,024 · 14.7% of income

Prince George's County, MD

Infant: $17,024 · 17.4% of income

Frederick County, MD

Infant: $16,897 · 14.6% of income

Harford County, MD

Infant: $16,897 · 15.9% of income

Calvert County, MD

Infant: $16,816 · 13.1% of income

Carroll County, MD

Infant: $16,816 · 15.1% of income

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.