County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Clearwater County, ID
The standout signal in Clearwater County, ID is income burden: infant center care takes 15.5% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 10% below the national average.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $8,653
- Center Infant/yr
- $6,760
- Family Infant/yr
- $55,885
- Median Income
- 15.5%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Clearwater County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a moderate income burden on families.
- Top 46%
- cheapest nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,236
- of 2,662 priced counties
A center-based childcare affordability composite (infant, preschool, and school-age price burden relative to local median income) plus poverty rate, benchmarked against every other tracked county nationally. Not a rating of childcare quality, safety, or availability. Dimensions with no data on file are excluded and their weight redistributed, never counted as zero.
National sticker context: $9,592 average.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Clearwater County, ID is $8,653/year, while family childcare is $6,760/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 15.5% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,031/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Clearwater County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,653 | $6,760 |
| Toddler | $8,031 | $6,848 |
| Preschool | $7,294 | $6,288 |
| School Age | $7,002 | $6,186 |
Where Clearwater County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,653 more affordable than 53% 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
Clearwater County vs. every other Idaho county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Idaho counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Idaho median.
Within Idaho, Clearwater County has lower income but higher infant-care cost than the typical Idaho county (its national standing, below-national-median infant care costs, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Full NDCP Care Ladder in Clearwater County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (PAR / HEAVY · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,653 | $6,760 | +$1,893 (+28%) |
| Toddler | $8,031 | $6,848 | +$1,183 (+17.3%) |
| Preschool | $7,294 | $6,288 | +$1,006 (+16%) |
| School Age | $7,002 | $6,186 | +$816 (+13.2%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $30,980/year versus $26,082/year for family care ($4,898 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.24× school-age center care here. Among the 44Idaho counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Clearwater County ranks #36 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Clearwater County burden reading
The standout signal in Clearwater County, ID is income burden: infant center care takes 15.5% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 10% below the national average.
Mid-burden tercile: Clearwater County spends 15.5% of a $55,885 median on infant center care (HEAVY). Pair the PAR sticker with the age-group table before treating any single cell as the household story.
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)
Center-based infant care costs over 2012–2022 (11 years of NDCP data).
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | N/A |
| 2010 | N/A |
| 2011 | N/A |
| 2012 | $5,231 |
| 2013 | $5,059 |
| 2014 | $4,887 |
| 2015 | $4,715 |
| 2016 | $5,368 |
| 2017 | $6,143 |
| 2018 | $6,917 |
| 2019 | $7,310 |
| 2020 | $7,702 |
| 2021 | $8,095 |
| 2022 | $8,653 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Idaho
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Clearwater County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Clearwater County
Infant center care here runs 15.5% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Clearwater County spends 15.5% of median income on infant center care, above the HHS 7%-of-income affordability line. See exactly where your own household income lands. Affordability calculator
- $8,653/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Clearwater County compares against the full national ladder. National rankings
- If care is straining the budget, federal and state programs (CCDF, Head Start) can cut it sharply. Check whether Clearwater County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.