County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Yellow Medicine County, MN
The standout signal in Yellow Medicine County, MN is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,658/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,331 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,331
- Center Infant/yr
- $6,673
- Family Infant/yr
- $70,605
- Median Income
- 14.6%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Yellow Medicine County pairs the 35th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 35th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,732
- 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 Yellow Medicine County, MN is $10,331/year, while family childcare is $6,673/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 14.6% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,941/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Yellow Medicine County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,331 | $6,673 |
| Toddler | $9,941 | $6,760 |
| Preschool | $9,187 | $6,760 |
| School Age | $8,459 | $6,240 |
Where Yellow Medicine County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$10,331 more affordable than 35% 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
Yellow Medicine 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, Yellow Medicine County has higher income but lower infant-care cost than the typical Minnesota county (its national standing, the 35th 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 Yellow Medicine 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 | $10,331 | $6,673 | +$3,658 (+54.8%) |
| Toddler | $9,941 | $6,760 | +$3,181 (+47.1%) |
| Preschool | $9,187 | $6,760 | +$2,427 (+35.9%) |
| School Age | $8,459 | $6,240 | +$2,219 (+35.6%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $37,918/year versus $26,433/year for family care ($11,485 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.22× school-age center care here. Among the 87Minnesota counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Yellow Medicine County ranks #29 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Yellow Medicine County premium reading
The standout signal in Yellow Medicine County, MN is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,658/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,331 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Yellow Medicine County spends 14.6% of a $70,605 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)
Here's how center-based infant care priced out from 2008 to 2022, across 15 years of NDCP survey data.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $7,020 |
| 2009 | $7,072 |
| 2010 | $7,124 |
| 2011 | $8,112 |
| 2012 | $7,540 |
| 2013 | $7,150 |
| 2014 | $6,760 |
| 2015 | $7,566 |
| 2016 | $8,372 |
| 2017 | $10,322 |
| 2018 | $12,272 |
| 2019 | $11,787 |
| 2020 | $11,301 |
| 2021 | $10,816 |
| 2022 | $10,331 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Minnesota
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Yellow Medicine County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Yellow Medicine County
Infant center care here runs 14.6% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Yellow Medicine County spends 14.6% 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
- $10,331/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.