Childcare costs in St. Joseph County, MI
$6,698 a year for center-based infant care - 10.8% of the local median income, against a national average of $9,592.
The going rate for center-based infant care in St. Joseph County, MI is $6,698/year, while family childcare is $7,952/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 10.8% of the median household income - exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $6,698/year, and preschool-age care is $5,327/year.
- $6,698
- Center Infant/yr
- $7,952
- Family Infant/yr
- $62,281
- Median Income
- 10.8%
- % of Income (Infant)
NDCP county market brief
St. Joseph County, MI sticker posture in this snapshot
Entity-varying stamps from DOL NDCP county medians and ACS income burden, not a clone nationwide scaffold.
- QUIET NDCP sticker band
- OVER7 HHS income share
- #575 of 2,662 National infant rank
- $6,698 Center infant/yr
- $7,952 Family infant/yr
- Branch County Nearest price peer
- 8/8 NDCP cells filled
- 2022 Survey vintage
Infant-price neighbourhood
Nearest ABS(center_infant) peers in MI (NDCP 2022).
Annual Childcare Costs by Age Group
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $6,698 | $7,952 |
| Toddler | $6,698 | $7,952 |
| Preschool | $5,327 | $7,233 |
| School Age | $5,075 | $4,903 |
Where St. Joseph County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$6,698 Among the most affordable more affordable than 78% of 2,662 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
Full NDCP Care Ladder in St. Joseph County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (QUIET / OVER7) - center premium and age-step are county-specific, not a clone caption.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $6,698 | $7,952 | $-1,254 (-15.8%) |
| Toddler | $6,698 | $7,952 | $-1,254 (-15.8%) |
| Preschool | $5,327 | $7,233 | $-1,906 (-26.4%) |
| School Age | $5,075 | $4,903 | +$172 (+3.5%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $23,798/year versus $28,040/year for family care ($4,242 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.32× school-age center care here. Among the 83Michigan counties with a complete NDCP ladder, St. Joseph County ranks #24 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
What These Numbers Mean for St. Joseph County Families
Weighed against a $62,281 median household income, St. Joseph County's childcare bill tells an affordability story, putting infant center care at 10.8% of gross income. HHS draws the affordability line at 7% of income, and the typical local family exceeds the federal affordability line by 3.8 points.St. Joseph County families generally find care more manageable than the national picture, though waitlists at licensed providers remain the real bottleneck.
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 | $6,819 |
| 2009 | $5,838 |
| 2010 | $6,252 |
| 2011 | $6,667 |
| 2012 | $6,866 |
| 2013 | $7,065 |
| 2014 | $7,161 |
| 2015 | $7,257 |
| 2016 | $7,563 |
| 2017 | $7,869 |
| 2018 | $8,174 |
| 2019 | $7,436 |
| 2020 | $6,698 |
| 2021 | $5,959 |
| 2022 | $6,698 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Michigan
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to St. Joseph County's QUIET NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. County childcare prices and affordability ratios are computed from NDCP and ACS records for this county. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.