County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Steele County, MN
The standout signal in Steele County, MN is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $5,790/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $12,203 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $12,203
- Center Infant/yr
- $6,413
- Family Infant/yr
- $79,722
- Median Income
- 15.3%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Steele County pairs the 17th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 17th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #2,210
- 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.
Steep-price tercile: family infant care here is $6,413/yr beside the $12,203 center sticker; toddler center care is $11,050/yr.
Steep-book age ladder for Steele County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $12,203 | $6,413 |
| Toddler | $11,050 | $6,500 |
| Preschool | $10,435 | $6,500 |
| School Age | $8,805 | $5,893 |
Where Steele County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$12,203 more affordable than 17% 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
Steele County vs. every other Minnesota county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Minnesota counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Minnesota median.
Within Minnesota, Steele County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Minnesota county (its national standing, the 17th 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 Steele County
Steele County sits in the steep-price third of NDCP-priced counties (HIGH), read center premiums and the infant-to-school-age drop as county-specific, not a clone caption.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $12,203 | $6,413 | +$5,790 (+90.3%) |
| Toddler | $11,050 | $6,500 | +$4,550 (+70%) |
| Preschool | $10,435 | $6,500 | +$3,935 (+60.5%) |
| School Age | $8,805 | $5,893 | +$2,912 (+49.4%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $42,493/year versus $25,306/year for family care ($17,187 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.39× school-age center care here. Among the 87Minnesota counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Steele County ranks #67 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Steele County premium reading
The standout signal in Steele County, MN is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $5,790/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $12,203 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Steele County spends 15.3% of a $79,722 median on infant center care (HEAVY). Pair the HIGH 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 | $8,580 |
| 2009 | $8,580 |
| 2010 | $8,580 |
| 2011 | $10,140 |
| 2012 | $8,840 |
| 2013 | $9,490 |
| 2014 | $10,140 |
| 2015 | $10,426 |
| 2016 | $10,712 |
| 2017 | $11,492 |
| 2018 | $12,272 |
| 2019 | $12,255 |
| 2020 | $12,237 |
| 2021 | $12,220 |
| 2022 | $12,203 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Minnesota
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Steele County's HIGH NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Steele County
Infant center care here runs 15.3% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Steele County spends 15.3% 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
- $12,203/yr center infant sticker (HIGH) - see how Steele 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 Steele County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.