County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Steele County, ND
The standout signal in Steele County, ND is income burden: infant center care takes 12.3% of median ACS income (HEAVY · light-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 10% above the national average.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,556
- Center Infant/yr
- $7,759
- Family Infant/yr
- $85,750
- Median Income
- 12.3%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Steele County pairs the 32nd percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a light income burden on families.
- 32nd pct.
- affordability nationally
- Light
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,811
- 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 $7,759/yr beside the $10,556 center sticker; toddler center care is $9,642/yr.
Steep-book age ladder for Steele County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,556 | $7,759 |
| Toddler | $9,642 | $7,328 |
| Preschool | $8,936 | $7,374 |
| School Age | $8,699 | $7,596 |
Where Steele County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$10,556 more affordable than 32% 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 North Dakota county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 North Dakota counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the North Dakota median.
Within North Dakota, Steele County has higher income but lower infant-care cost than the typical North Dakota county (its national standing, the 32nd 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 | $10,556 | $7,759 | +$2,797 (+36%) |
| Toddler | $9,642 | $7,328 | +$2,314 (+31.6%) |
| Preschool | $8,936 | $7,374 | +$1,562 (+21.2%) |
| School Age | $8,699 | $7,596 | +$1,103 (+14.5%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $37,833/year versus $30,057/year for family care ($7,776 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.21× school-age center care here. Among the 53North Dakota counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Steele County ranks #19 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Steele County burden reading
The standout signal in Steele County, ND is income burden: infant center care takes 12.3% of median ACS income (HEAVY · light-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 10% above the national average.
Light-burden tercile reading: Steele County keeps infant center care at 12.3% of a $85,750 median (HEAVY). Sticker still matters (HIGH), but income share is not the binding constraint versus waitlists and licensed capacity.
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)
Center-based infant care costs over 2008–2022 (15 years of NDCP data).
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $5,249 |
| 2009 | $5,274 |
| 2010 | $5,398 |
| 2011 | $5,521 |
| 2012 | $5,687 |
| 2013 | $5,853 |
| 2014 | $6,019 |
| 2015 | $6,185 |
| 2016 | $6,700 |
| 2017 | $7,216 |
| 2018 | $7,884 |
| 2019 | $8,552 |
| 2020 | $9,220 |
| 2021 | $9,888 |
| 2022 | $10,556 |
Nearest infant-price counties in North Dakota
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 12.3% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Steele County spends 12.3% 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
- $10,556/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.