County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Rio Grande County, CO
The standout signal in Rio Grande County, CO is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-991/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $9,305 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $9,305
- Center Infant/yr
- $10,296
- Family Infant/yr
- $57,591
- Median Income
- 16.2%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Rio Grande County pairs the 47th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 47th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,410
- 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.
Rio Grande County, CO families pay $9,305/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $10,296/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 16.2% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $6,999/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Rio Grande County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,305 | $10,296 |
| Toddler | $6,999 | $10,205 |
| Preschool | $6,781 | $10,205 |
| School Age | $7,980 | $8,164 |
Where Rio Grande County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$9,305 more affordable than 47% 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
Rio Grande County vs. every other Colorado county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Colorado counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Colorado median.
Within Colorado, Rio Grande County has lower income and lower infant-care cost than the typical Colorado county (its national standing, the 47th 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 Rio Grande 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 | $9,305 | $10,296 | $-991 (-9.6%) |
| Toddler | $6,999 | $10,205 | $-3,206 (-31.4%) |
| Preschool | $6,781 | $10,205 | $-3,424 (-33.6%) |
| School Age | $7,980 | $8,164 | $-184 (-2.3%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $31,065/year versus $38,870/year for family care ($7,805 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.17× school-age center care here. Among the 62Colorado counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Rio Grande County ranks #20 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Rio Grande County premium reading
The standout signal in Rio Grande County, CO is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $-991/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $9,305 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Rio Grande County spends 16.2% of a $57,591 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 3 years, from 2014 through 2022.
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 | $9,166 |
| 2015 | $9,017 |
| 2016 | N/A |
| 2017 | N/A |
| 2018 | N/A |
| 2019 | N/A |
| 2020 | N/A |
| 2021 | N/A |
| 2022 | $9,305 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Colorado
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Rio Grande County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Rio Grande County
Infant center care here runs 16.2% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Rio Grande County spends 16.2% 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
- $9,305/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.