Home / States / Texas /

County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Gillespie County, TX

The standout signal in Gillespie County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $884/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $8,892 center sticker.

Data updated 2026-07-05

$8,892
Center Infant/yr
$8,008
Family Infant/yr
$70,162
Median Income
12.7%
% of Income (Infant)

The verdict

Gillespie County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a light income burden on families.

Top 48%
cheapest nationally
Light
income-burden tier
Narrow
family-vs-infant price gap
#1,282
of 2,662 priced counties
B
PlainChildcare Composite Score
62/100
Gillespie County, TX

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.

Infant care burden B
Center-based infant care costs 12.7% of median household income here (national median 14.6%)
Preschool care burden B
Center-based preschool care costs 11.6% of median household income here (national median 12.5%)
School-age care burden C
Center-based school-age care costs 11% of median household income here (national median 10.4%)
Economic hardship B
7.3% poverty rate here (national median 9.3%)
Price-change feed

National sticker context: $9,592 average.

The going rate for center-based infant care in Gillespie County, TX is $8,892/year, while family childcare is $8,008/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 12.7% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,320/year.

Annual childcare costs by age in Gillespie County

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $8,892 $8,008
Toddler $8,320 $7,696
Preschool $8,112 $7,592
School Age $7,748 $7,228

Where Gillespie County ranks on infant-care cost

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

$8,892 more affordable than 52% 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

Gillespie County vs. every other Texas county: income vs. infant-care cost

Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Texas counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Texas median.

Median household income vs Avg. annual infant care 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Median household income (X) and Avg. annual infant care (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High income, high costLow income, high costHigh income, low costLow income, low cost $20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000 $6,000$7,000$8,000$9,000$10,000$11,000 Median household income Avg. annual infant care

Within Texas, Gillespie County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Texas 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 Gillespie 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 $8,892 $8,008 +$884 (+11%)
Toddler $8,320 $7,696 +$624 (+8.1%)
Preschool $8,112 $7,592 +$520 (+6.8%)
School Age $7,748 $7,228 +$520 (+7.2%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $33,072/year versus $30,524/year for family care ($2,548 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.15× school-age center care here. Among the 254Texas counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Gillespie County ranks #209 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

Gillespie County premium reading

The standout signal in Gillespie County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $884/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $8,892 center sticker.

Light-burden tercile reading: Gillespie County keeps infant center care at 12.7% of a $70,162 median (HEAVY). Sticker still matters (PAR), but income share is not the binding constraint versus waitlists and licensed capacity.

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 14 years, from 2009 through 2022.

+33.7% since 2009
Infant center care: $6,653 → $8,892
$8,892/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
14 years
Data available (2009–2022)
2009
$6,653
2010
$6,942
2011
$7,231
2012
$7,519
2013
$7,769
2014
$7,496
2015
$7,920
2016
$7,834
2017
$8,614
2018
$8,666
2019
$8,797
2020
$8,928
2021
$9,724
2022
$8,892
View full data table (all care types)
Year Ctr Infant
2008 N/A
2009 $6,653
2010 $6,942
2011 $7,231
2012 $7,519
2013 $7,769
2014 $7,496
2015 $7,920
2016 $7,834
2017 $8,614
2018 $8,666
2019 $8,797
2020 $8,928
2021 $9,724
2022 $8,892

What to do with Gillespie County

Infant center care here runs 12.7% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.

  • Gillespie County spends 12.7% 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
  • $8,892/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Gillespie 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 Gillespie County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility

Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.