County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Malheur County, OR
The standout signal in Malheur County, OR is income burden: infant center care takes 21.2% of median ACS income (DESERT · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 7% above the national average.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $10,260
- Center Infant/yr
- $9,000
- Family Infant/yr
- $48,371
- Median Income
- 21.2%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Malheur County pairs the 36th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a heavy income burden on families.
- 36th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Heavy
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,716
- 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.
Center-based infant care in Malheur County, OR costs $10,260/year, while family childcare is $9,000/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 21.2% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,420/year.
Heavy-burden age costs in Malheur County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,260 | $9,000 |
| Toddler | $9,420 | $8,400 |
| Preschool | $7,800 | $7,800 |
| School Age | $3,240 | $7,200 |
Where Malheur County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$10,260 more affordable than 35% 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
Malheur County vs. every other Oregon county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Oregon counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Oregon median.
Within Oregon, Malheur County has lower income but higher infant-care cost than the typical Oregon county (its national standing, the 36th 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 Malheur County
Complete NDCP ladder under a heavy-burden tercile (21.2% of ACS median, DESERT), compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,260 | $9,000 | +$1,260 (+14%) |
| Toddler | $9,420 | $8,400 | +$1,020 (+12.1%) |
| Preschool | $7,800 | $7,800 | +$0 (+0%) |
| School Age | $3,240 | $7,200 | $-3,960 (-55%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $30,720/year versus $32,400/year for family care ($1,680 less at a center). Infant center care runs 3.17× school-age center care here. Among the 36Oregon counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Malheur County ranks #11 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Malheur County burden reading
The standout signal in Malheur County, OR is income burden: infant center care takes 21.2% of median ACS income (DESERT · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 7% above the national average.
Heavy-burden tercile counties like Malheur County put infant center care at 21.2% of a $48,371 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)
The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 15 years, from 2008 through 2022.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $5,460 |
| 2009 | $5,910 |
| 2010 | $6,360 |
| 2011 | $6,420 |
| 2012 | $6,480 |
| 2013 | $6,840 |
| 2014 | $7,200 |
| 2015 | $7,500 |
| 2016 | $7,800 |
| 2017 | $8,070 |
| 2018 | $8,340 |
| 2019 | $9,270 |
| 2020 | $10,200 |
| 2021 | $10,230 |
| 2022 | $10,260 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Oregon
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Malheur County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Malheur County
Infant center care here runs 21.2% of the local median income (DESERT), check where your own household lands.
- Malheur County spends 21.2% 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
- $10,260/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Malheur 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 Malheur County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.