County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Marquette County, MI

The standout signal in Marquette County, MI is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-2,908/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,417 center sticker.

Data updated 2026-07-05

$7,417
Center Infant/yr
$10,325
Family Infant/yr
$63,115
Median Income
11.8%
% of Income (Infant)

The verdict

Marquette County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a light income burden on families.

Top 31%
cheapest nationally
Light
income-burden tier
Narrow
family-vs-infant price gap
#828
of 2,662 priced counties
B
PlainChildcare Composite Score
62/100
Marquette County, MI

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.

Infant care burden B
Center-based infant care costs 11.8% of median household income here (national median 14.6%)
Preschool care burden C
Center-based preschool care costs 11.9% of median household income here (national median 12.5%)
School-age care burden D
Center-based school-age care costs 11.5% of median household income here (national median 10.4%)
Economic hardship B
7.3% poverty rate here (national median 9.3%)
Price-change feed

National sticker context: $9,592 average.

Quiet-price tercile: center infant care is $7,417/yr with family care at $10,325/yr (11.8% of median income), absolute stickers are low; capacity and waitlists still bind.

Quiet-book age ladder for Marquette County

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $7,417 $10,325
Toddler $7,530 $9,680
Preschool $7,530 $9,680
School Age $7,259 $8,640

Where Marquette County ranks on infant-care cost

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

$7,417 Among the most affordable more affordable than 69% 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

Marquette 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.

Median household income vs Avg. annual infant care 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Median household income (X) and Avg. annual infant care (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High income, high costLow income, high costHigh income, low costLow income, low cost $40,000$50,000$60,000$70,000$80,000$90,000 $5,000$6,000$7,000$8,000$9,000$10,000 Median household income Avg. annual infant care

Within Michigan, Marquette County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Michigan 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 Marquette County

Marquette County sits in the quieter-price third (MID), complete ladders here still show setting trade-offs even when the absolute sticker is low.

Age Center Family Center premium
Infant $7,417 $10,325 $-2,908 (-28.2%)
Toddler $7,530 $9,680 $-2,150 (-22.2%)
Preschool $7,530 $9,680 $-2,150 (-22.2%)
School Age $7,259 $8,640 $-1,381 (-16%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $29,736/year versus $38,325/year for family care ($8,589 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.02× school-age center care here. Among the 83Michigan counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Marquette County ranks #48 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

Marquette County premium reading

The standout signal in Marquette County, MI is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-2,908/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,417 center sticker.

Light-burden tercile reading: Marquette County keeps infant center care at 11.8% of a $63,115 median (OVER7). 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.

Center-based infant care costs over 2008–2022 (15 years of NDCP data).

+4.9% since 2008
Infant center care: $7,071 → $7,417
$7,417/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
15 years
Data available (2008–2022)
2008
$7,071
2009
$6,343
2010
$6,777
2011
$7,210
2012
$7,483
2013
$7,755
2014
$7,854
2015
$7,953
2016
$8,376
2017
$8,799
2018
$9,223
2019
$8,771
2020
$8,320
2021
$7,869
2022
$7,417
View full data table (all care types)
Year Ctr Infant
2008 $7,071
2009 $6,343
2010 $6,777
2011 $7,210
2012 $7,483
2013 $7,755
2014 $7,854
2015 $7,953
2016 $8,376
2017 $8,799
2018 $9,223
2019 $8,771
2020 $8,320
2021 $7,869
2022 $7,417

What to do with Marquette County

Infant center care here runs 11.8% of the local median income (OVER7), check where your own household lands.

  • Marquette County spends 11.8% 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
  • $7,417/yr center infant sticker (MID) - see how Marquette 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 Marquette County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility

Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.