County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Knox County, IL

Affordability desert

$16,161 a year for center-based infant care - 32.2% of the local median income, against a national average of $9,592.

The going rate for center-based infant care in Knox County, IL is $16,161/year, while family childcare is $8,233/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 32.2% of the median household income - exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $13,087/year, and preschool-age care is $13,433/year.

$16,161
Center Infant/yr
$8,233
Family Infant/yr
$50,263
Median Income
32.2%
% of Income (Infant)

NDCP county market brief

Knox County, IL sticker posture in this snapshot

Entity-varying stamps from DOL NDCP county medians and ACS income burden, not a clone nationwide scaffold.

  1. STEEP NDCP sticker band
  2. DESERT HHS income share
  3. #2,513 of 2,662 National infant rank
  4. $16,161 Center infant/yr
  5. $8,233 Family infant/yr
  6. Newport County Nearest price peer
  7. 7/8 NDCP cells filled
  8. 2022 Survey vintage

Infant-price neighbourhood

Nearest ABS(center_infant) peers in IL (NDCP 2022).

Knox (this)$16,161Champaign Co…$16,092McLean County$16,311McHenry County$16,408Lake County$15,881Will County$15,825

Price-band peers

Annual Childcare Costs by Age Group

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $16,161 $8,233
Toddler $13,087 $8,233
Preschool $13,433 $7,640
School Age N/A $3,252

Where Knox County ranks on infant-care cost

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

$16,161 more affordable than 6% 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

What These Numbers Mean for Knox County Families

Household affordability in Knox County tracks against a median income of $50,263, putting infant center care at 32.2% of gross income. HHS draws the affordability line at 7% of income, and the typical local family exceeds the federal affordability line by 25.2 points.At over 20% of income, Knox County qualifies as an affordability desert, counties where childcare competes with housing and healthcare for household budget share.

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.

Here's how center-based infant care priced out from 2008 to 2022, across 15 years of NDCP survey data.

+129.1% since 2008
Infant center care: $7,054 → $16,161
$16,161/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
15 years
Data available (2008–2022)
2008
$7,054
2009
$7,371
2010
$7,688
2011
$7,874
2012
$8,060
2013
$8,320
2014
$8,580
2015
$8,649
2016
$8,718
2017
$8,718
2018
$8,718
2019
$10,578
2020
$12,439
2021
$14,300
2022
$16,161
View full data table (all care types)
Year Ctr Infant
2008 $7,054
2009 $7,371
2010 $7,688
2011 $7,874
2012 $8,060
2013 $8,320
2014 $8,580
2015 $8,649
2016 $8,718
2017 $8,718
2018 $8,718
2019 $10,578
2020 $12,439
2021 $14,300
2022 $16,161

PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. County childcare prices and affordability ratios are computed from NDCP and ACS records for this county. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.