County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Muscatine County, IA
The standout signal in Muscatine County, IA is income burden: infant center care takes 12.9% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 9% below the national average.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,691
- Center Infant/yr
- $5,865
- Family Infant/yr
- $67,427
- Median Income
- 12.9%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Muscatine County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a moderate income burden on families.
- Top 47%
- cheapest nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,246
- 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 Muscatine County, IA is $8,691/year, while family childcare is $5,865/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 12.9% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,489/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Muscatine County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,691 | $5,865 |
| Toddler | $7,489 | $5,768 |
| Preschool | $7,489 | $5,768 |
| School Age | $5,991 | $5,576 |
Where Muscatine County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,691 more affordable than 53% 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
Muscatine County vs. every other Iowa county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Iowa counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Iowa median.
Within Iowa, Muscatine County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Iowa 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 Muscatine County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (PAR / HEAVY · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,691 | $5,865 | +$2,826 (+48.2%) |
| Toddler | $7,489 | $5,768 | +$1,721 (+29.8%) |
| Preschool | $7,489 | $5,768 | +$1,721 (+29.8%) |
| School Age | $5,991 | $5,576 | +$415 (+7.4%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $29,660/year versus $22,977/year for family care ($6,683 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.45× school-age center care here. Among the 99Iowa counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Muscatine County ranks #89 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Muscatine County burden reading
The standout signal in Muscatine County, IA is income burden: infant center care takes 12.9% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 9% below the national average.
Mid-burden tercile: Muscatine County spends 12.9% of a $67,427 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)
7 years of federal survey data (2016–2022) show how center-based infant care has moved.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | N/A |
| 2010 | N/A |
| 2011 | N/A |
| 2012 | N/A |
| 2013 | N/A |
| 2014 | N/A |
| 2015 | N/A |
| 2016 | $8,773 |
| 2017 | $8,759 |
| 2018 | $8,746 |
| 2019 | $8,732 |
| 2020 | $8,718 |
| 2021 | $8,704 |
| 2022 | $8,691 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Iowa
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Muscatine County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Muscatine County
Infant center care here runs 12.9% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Muscatine County spends 12.9% 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
- $8,691/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Muscatine 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 Muscatine County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.