County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in King County, TX
The standout signal in King County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $676/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,592 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $7,592
- Center Infant/yr
- $6,916
- Family Infant/yr
- $59,375
- Median Income
- 12.8%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
King County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a light income burden on families.
- Top 34%
- cheapest nationally
- Light
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #914
- 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.
King County, TX families pay $7,592/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $6,916/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 12.8% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,176/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in King County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $7,592 | $6,916 |
| Toddler | $7,176 | $6,604 |
| Preschool | $6,968 | $6,552 |
| School Age | $6,656 | $6,240 |
Where King County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$7,592 Among the most affordable more affordable than 65% 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
King 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.
Within Texas, King County has lower income but 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 King 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 | $7,592 | $6,916 | +$676 (+9.8%) |
| Toddler | $7,176 | $6,604 | +$572 (+8.7%) |
| Preschool | $6,968 | $6,552 | +$416 (+6.3%) |
| School Age | $6,656 | $6,240 | +$416 (+6.7%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $28,392/year versus $26,312/year for family care ($2,080 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.14× school-age center care here. Among the 254Texas counties with a complete NDCP ladder, King County ranks #137 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
King County premium reading
The standout signal in King County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $676/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,592 center sticker.
Light-burden tercile reading: King County keeps infant center care at 12.8% of a $59,375 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 2009 to 2022, across 14 years of NDCP survey data.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | $5,478 |
| 2010 | $5,619 |
| 2011 | $5,759 |
| 2012 | $5,899 |
| 2013 | $5,980 |
| 2014 | $5,629 |
| 2015 | $5,842 |
| 2016 | $6,388 |
| 2017 | $6,646 |
| 2018 | $6,906 |
| 2019 | $7,085 |
| 2020 | $7,264 |
| 2021 | $7,904 |
| 2022 | $7,592 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Texas
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to King County's MID NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with King County
Infant center care here runs 12.8% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- King County spends 12.8% 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
- $7,592/yr center infant sticker (MID) - see how King 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 King County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.