County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Story County, IA
The standout signal in Story County, IA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $2,881/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $8,858 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,858
- Center Infant/yr
- $5,977
- Family Infant/yr
- $66,197
- Median Income
- 13.4%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Story County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a moderate income burden on families.
- Top 48%
- cheapest nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,274
- 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.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Story County, IA is $8,858/year, while family childcare is $5,977/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 13.4% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,633/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Story County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,858 | $5,977 |
| Toddler | $7,633 | $5,879 |
| Preschool | $7,633 | $5,879 |
| School Age | $6,106 | $5,684 |
Where Story County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,858 more affordable than 52% 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
Story County vs. every other Iowa county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Iowa counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Iowa median.
Within Iowa, Story County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Iowa county (its national standing, below-national-median infant care costs, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Full NDCP Care Ladder in Story 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 | $8,858 | $5,977 | +$2,881 (+48.2%) |
| Toddler | $7,633 | $5,879 | +$1,754 (+29.8%) |
| Preschool | $7,633 | $5,879 | +$1,754 (+29.8%) |
| School Age | $6,106 | $5,684 | +$422 (+7.4%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $30,230/year versus $23,419/year for family care ($6,811 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.45× school-age center care here. Among the 99Iowa counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Story County ranks #96 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Story County premium reading
The standout signal in Story County, IA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $2,881/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $8,858 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Story County spends 13.4% of a $66,197 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 7 years, from 2016 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 | N/A |
| 2015 | N/A |
| 2016 | $11,733 |
| 2017 | $11,254 |
| 2018 | $10,774 |
| 2019 | $10,295 |
| 2020 | $9,816 |
| 2021 | $9,337 |
| 2022 | $8,858 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Iowa
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Story County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Story County
Infant center care here runs 13.4% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Story County spends 13.4% 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
- $8,858/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Story 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 Story County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.