County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Kent County, DE
The standout signal in Kent County, DE is income burden: infant center care takes 13.7% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 1% below the national average.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $9,471
- Center Infant/yr
- $8,094
- Family Infant/yr
- $69,278
- Median Income
- 13.7%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Kent County pairs the 45th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 45th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,456
- 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 Kent County, DE is $9,471/year, while family childcare is $8,094/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 13.7% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,230/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Kent County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,471 | $8,094 |
| Toddler | $7,230 | $6,646 |
| Preschool | $7,519 | $6,683 |
| School Age | $5,784 | $3,342 |
Where Kent County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$9,471 more affordable than 45% 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 Kent 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 | $9,471 | $8,094 | +$1,377 (+17%) |
| Toddler | $7,230 | $6,646 | +$584 (+8.8%) |
| Preschool | $7,519 | $6,683 | +$836 (+12.5%) |
| School Age | $5,784 | $3,342 | +$2,442 (+73.1%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $30,004/year versus $24,765/year for family care ($5,239 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.64× school-age center care here. Among the 3Delaware counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Kent County ranks #1 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Kent County burden reading
The standout signal in Kent County, DE is income burden: infant center care takes 13.7% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 1% below the national average.
Mid-burden tercile: Kent County spends 13.7% of a $69,278 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)
15 years of federal survey data (2008–2022) show how center-based infant care has moved.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $6,778 |
| 2009 | $7,049 |
| 2010 | $7,321 |
| 2011 | $7,591 |
| 2012 | $7,700 |
| 2013 | $7,808 |
| 2014 | $8,242 |
| 2015 | $8,676 |
| 2016 | $8,893 |
| 2017 | $9,110 |
| 2018 | $9,327 |
| 2019 | $9,363 |
| 2020 | $9,399 |
| 2021 | $9,435 |
| 2022 | $9,471 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Delaware
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Kent County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Kent County
Infant center care here runs 13.7% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Kent County spends 13.7% 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
- $9,471/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Kent 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 Kent County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.