County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in La Paz County, AZ
The standout signal in La Paz County, AZ is income burden: infant center care takes 20.9% of median ACS income (DESERT · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 2% above the national average.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $9,750
- Center Infant/yr
- $9,100
- Family Infant/yr
- $46,634
- Median Income
- 20.9%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
La Paz County pairs the 39th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a heavy income burden on families.
- 39th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Heavy
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,613
- 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.
La Paz County, AZ families pay $9,750/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $9,100/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 20.9% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,060/year.
Heavy-burden age costs in La Paz County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,750 | $9,100 |
| Toddler | $8,060 | $9,100 |
| Preschool | $8,060 | $9,100 |
| School Age | $7,800 | $9,100 |
Where La Paz County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$9,750 more affordable than 39% 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
La Paz County vs. every other Arizona county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 15 Arizona counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Arizona median.
Within Arizona, La Paz County has lower income and lower infant-care cost than the typical Arizona county (its national standing, the 39th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Full NDCP Care Ladder in La Paz County
Complete NDCP ladder under a heavy-burden tercile (20.9% of ACS median, DESERT), compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,750 | $9,100 | +$650 (+7.1%) |
| Toddler | $8,060 | $9,100 | $-1,040 (-11.4%) |
| Preschool | $8,060 | $9,100 | $-1,040 (-11.4%) |
| School Age | $7,800 | $9,100 | $-1,300 (-14.3%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $33,670/year versus $36,400/year for family care ($2,730 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.25× school-age center care here. Among the 15Arizona counties with a complete NDCP ladder, La Paz County ranks #1 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
La Paz County burden reading
The standout signal in La Paz County, AZ is income burden: infant center care takes 20.9% of median ACS income (DESERT · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 2% above the national average.
Heavy-burden tercile counties like La Paz County put infant center care at 20.9% of a $46,634 ACS median, well above the HHS 7% line. Treat subsidy and family-setting trade-offs as first-order, not footnotes.
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 | $6,500 |
| 2009 | $6,630 |
| 2010 | $6,760 |
| 2011 | $6,923 |
| 2012 | $7,085 |
| 2013 | $6,923 |
| 2014 | $6,760 |
| 2015 | $7,020 |
| 2016 | $7,280 |
| 2017 | $7,540 |
| 2018 | $7,800 |
| 2019 | $8,288 |
| 2020 | $8,775 |
| 2021 | $9,263 |
| 2022 | $9,750 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Arizona
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to La Paz County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with La Paz County
Infant center care here runs 20.9% of the local median income (DESERT), check where your own household lands.
- La Paz County spends 20.9% 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
- $9,750/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how La Paz 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 La Paz County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.