County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Natrona County, WY

The standout signal in Natrona County, WY is income burden: infant center care takes 13.3% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 4% below the national average.

Data updated 2026-09-24

$9,215
Center Infant/yr
$7,225
Family Infant/yr
$69,104
Median Income
13.3%
% of Income (Infant)

The verdict

Natrona County pairs the 48th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.

48th pct.
affordability nationally
Moderate
income-burden tier
Moderate
family-vs-infant price gap
#1,385
of 2,661 priced counties
B
PlainChildcare Composite Score
63/100
Natrona County, WY

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 13.3% 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 C
Center-based school-age care costs 9.5% of median household income here (national median 10.4%)
Economic hardship B
6.8% poverty rate here (national median 9.3%)
Price-change feed

National sticker context: $9,593 average.

The going rate for center-based infant care in Natrona County, WY is $9,215/year, while family childcare is $7,225/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 13.3% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,256/year.

Annual childcare costs by age in Natrona County

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $9,215 $7,225
Toddler $8,256 $6,273
Preschool $8,256 $6,273
School Age $6,574 $5,937

Where Natrona County ranks on infant-care cost

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

$9,215 more affordable than 48% of 2,661 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

Natrona County vs. every other Wyoming county: income vs. infant-care cost

Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 21 Wyoming counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Wyoming median.

Median household income vs Avg. annual infant care 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 21 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$60,000$80,000$100,000$120,000 $5,000$10,000$15,000$20,000 Median household income Avg. annual infant care

Within Wyoming, Natrona County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Wyoming county (its national standing, the 48th 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 Natrona 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 $9,215 $7,225 +$1,990 (+27.5%)
Toddler $8,256 $6,273 +$1,983 (+31.6%)
Preschool $8,256 $6,273 +$1,983 (+31.6%)
School Age $6,574 $5,937 +$637 (+10.7%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $32,301/year versus $25,708/year for family care ($6,593 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.4× school-age center care here. Among the 12Wyoming counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Natrona County ranks #8 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

Natrona County burden reading

The standout signal in Natrona County, WY is income burden: infant center care takes 13.3% of median ACS income (HEAVY · mid-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 4% below the national average.

Mid-burden tercile: Natrona County spends 13.3% of a $69,104 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.

The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 9 years, from 2014 through 2022.

+5.7% since 2014
Infant center care: $8,717 → $9,215
$9,215/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
9 years
Data available (2014–2022)
2014
$8,717
2015
$8,252
2016
$7,788
2017
$7,323
2018
$7,663
2019
$8,037
2020
$8,430
2021
$8,823
2022
$9,215
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 $8,717
2015 $8,252
2016 $7,788
2017 $7,323
2018 $7,663
2019 $8,037
2020 $8,430
2021 $8,823
2022 $9,215

What to do with Natrona County

Infant center care here runs 13.3% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.

  • Natrona County spends 13.3% 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
  • $9,215/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Natrona 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 Natrona County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility

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