County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Mercer County, IL
The standout signal in Mercer County, IL is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $1,341/yr more than family care (mid premium tercile) beside a $9,574 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $9,574
- Center Infant/yr
- $8,233
- Family Infant/yr
- $67,028
- Median Income
- 14.3%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Mercer County pairs the 44th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 44th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,481
- of 2,661 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: $9,593 average.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Mercer County, IL is $9,574/year, while family childcare is $8,233/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 14.3% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold.
Annual childcare costs by age in Mercer County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,574 | $8,233 |
| Toddler | N/A | N/A |
| Preschool | $8,927 | $8,237 |
| School Age | N/A | $1,950 |
Where Mercer County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$9,574 more affordable than 44% of 2,661 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
Mercer County vs. every other Illinois county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Illinois counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Illinois median.
Within Illinois, Mercer County has higher income but lower infant-care cost than the typical Illinois county (its national standing, the 44th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Mercer County premium reading
The standout signal in Mercer County, IL is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $1,341/yr more than family care (mid premium tercile) beside a $9,574 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Mercer County spends 14.3% of a $67,028 median on infant center care (HEAVY). Pair the PAR sticker with the age-group table before treating any single cell as the household story.
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 | $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 | $8,932 |
| 2020 | $9,146 |
| 2021 | $9,360 |
| 2022 | $9,574 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Illinois
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Mercer County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Mercer County
Infant center care here runs 14.3% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Mercer County spends 14.3% 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
- $9,574/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Mercer 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 Mercer County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.