County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Hamilton County, IA
The standout signal in Hamilton County, IA is income burden: infant center care takes 12.5% of median ACS income (HEAVY · light-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 13% below the national average.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,356
- Center Infant/yr
- $5,639
- Family Infant/yr
- $66,685
- Median Income
- 12.5%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Hamilton County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a light income burden on families.
- Top 44%
- cheapest nationally
- Light
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,180
- of 2,661 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: $9,593 average.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Hamilton County, IA is $8,356/year, while family childcare is $5,639/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 12.5% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,200/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Hamilton County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,356 | $5,639 |
| Toddler | $7,200 | $5,546 |
| Preschool | $7,200 | $5,546 |
| School Age | $5,760 | $5,361 |
Where Hamilton County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,356 more affordable than 56% of 2,661 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
Hamilton County vs. every other Iowa county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Iowa counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Iowa median.
Within Iowa, Hamilton County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Iowa 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 Hamilton County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (MID / HEAVY · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,356 | $5,639 | +$2,717 (+48.2%) |
| Toddler | $7,200 | $5,546 | +$1,654 (+29.8%) |
| Preschool | $7,200 | $5,546 | +$1,654 (+29.8%) |
| School Age | $5,760 | $5,361 | +$399 (+7.4%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $28,516/year versus $22,092/year for family care ($6,424 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.45× school-age center care here. Among the 99Iowa counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Hamilton County ranks #59 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Hamilton County burden reading
The standout signal in Hamilton County, IA is income burden: infant center care takes 12.5% of median ACS income (HEAVY · light-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 13% below the national average.
Light-burden tercile reading: Hamilton County keeps infant center care at 12.5% of a $66,685 median (HEAVY). Sticker still matters (MID), 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.
Historical Price Trends (2008–2022)
Here's how center-based infant care priced out from 2016 to 2022, across 7 years of NDCP survey data.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | N/A |
| 2010 | N/A |
| 2011 | N/A |
| 2012 | N/A |
| 2013 | N/A |
| 2014 | N/A |
| 2015 | N/A |
| 2016 | $8,145 |
| 2017 | $8,180 |
| 2018 | $8,215 |
| 2019 | $8,250 |
| 2020 | $8,286 |
| 2021 | $8,321 |
| 2022 | $8,356 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Iowa
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Hamilton County's MID NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Hamilton County
Infant center care here runs 12.5% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Hamilton County spends 12.5% 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
- $8,356/yr center infant sticker (MID) - see how Hamilton 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 Hamilton County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.