County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Livingston County, MI
The standout signal in Livingston County, MI is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-296/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $11,269 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $11,269
- Center Infant/yr
- $11,565
- Family Infant/yr
- $96,135
- Median Income
- 11.7%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Livingston County pairs the 24th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a light income burden on families.
- 24th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Light
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #2,028
- 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.
Steep-price tercile: family infant care here is $11,565/yr beside the $11,269 center sticker; toddler center care is $11,269/yr.
Steep-book age ladder for Livingston County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $11,269 | $11,565 |
| Toddler | $11,269 | $11,814 |
| Preschool | $9,050 | $11,814 |
| School Age | $6,793 | $8,569 |
Where Livingston County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$11,269 more affordable than 24% 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
Livingston County vs. every other Michigan county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Michigan counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Michigan median.
Within Michigan, Livingston County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Michigan county (its national standing, the 24th 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 Livingston County
Livingston County sits in the steep-price third of NDCP-priced counties (HIGH), read center premiums and the infant-to-school-age drop as county-specific, not a clone caption.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $11,269 | $11,565 | $-296 (-2.6%) |
| Toddler | $11,269 | $11,814 | $-545 (-4.6%) |
| Preschool | $9,050 | $11,814 | $-2,764 (-23.4%) |
| School Age | $6,793 | $8,569 | $-1,776 (-20.7%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $38,381/year versus $43,762/year for family care ($5,381 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.66× school-age center care here. Among the 83Michigan counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Livingston County ranks #82 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Livingston County premium reading
The standout signal in Livingston County, MI is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-296/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $11,269 center sticker.
Light-burden tercile reading: Livingston County keeps infant center care at 11.7% of a $96,135 median (OVER7). Sticker still matters (HIGH), 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)
Center-based infant care costs over 2008–2022 (15 years of NDCP data).
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $9,524 |
| 2009 | $8,387 |
| 2010 | $8,991 |
| 2011 | $9,596 |
| 2012 | $9,924 |
| 2013 | $10,252 |
| 2014 | $10,376 |
| 2015 | $10,498 |
| 2016 | $10,952 |
| 2017 | $11,406 |
| 2018 | $11,860 |
| 2019 | $11,712 |
| 2020 | $11,565 |
| 2021 | $11,417 |
| 2022 | $11,269 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Michigan
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Livingston County's HIGH NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Livingston County
Infant center care here runs 11.7% of the local median income (OVER7), check where your own household lands.
- Livingston County spends 11.7% 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
- $11,269/yr center infant sticker (HIGH) - see how Livingston 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 Livingston County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.