Childcare Price History: What the 2008–2022 DOL Data Shows

Why Childcare Cost Trends Matter

For most families with young children, childcare is one of the top three household expenses, alongside housing and food. Yet unlike rent or grocery prices, childcare costs receive relatively little public attention. The Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) changed that by providing county-level pricing data going back to 2008, allowing researchers, policymakers, and families to see exactly how prices have moved over time.

The historical series can show how a stored county estimate changed across the years covered by the source. It cannot be used as a live quote, a subsidy calculation, or a projection for a future enrollment date.

PlainChildcare uses NDCP data to show you costs by county and by care type. This guide explains what drives the numbers you see.

The data endpoint matters

What the data shows: This portal’s records span 2008–2022. The 2022 reference year is the latest year available in the local database, so the guide does not describe 2024 or 2026 prices.

How to use it: Compare like with like: the same county, care setting, age group, and reference year. A historical value is not a provider’s fee schedule or a family’s eventual out-of-pocket cost.

What it does not tell you: The database does not record current provider tuition, openings, subsidies, copayments, tax outcomes, or licensing quality.

Center-Based vs Home-Based: The Price Gap

What it tells you: Family home-based childcare (sometimes called family daycare or home daycare) is consistently cheaper than center-based care. Nationally, the gap is approximately 15-25%, though it varies by child age and state. For infant care, the gap tends to be larger because home-based providers often face more relaxed ratio requirements than centers.

What it does not tell you: A lower price does not necessarily mean lower quality, nor does it mean home-based care is always available. The supply of licensed home-based providers has been declining in many states, down by an estimated 30-40% since 2010 in some areas. Fewer providers means less competition and, paradoxically, rising prices for the home-based care that remains. In counties where home-based options have dried up, families face center-based prices as their only formal option.

How to use it: When comparing childcare options in your county, check both center-based and home-based median prices on PlainChildcare. If the gap is narrow in your area, it may indicate a shrinking home-based supply. If the gap is wide, home-based care could represent meaningful savings, but verify availability in your specific neighborhood.

Regional Patterns: Cost Is Not Uniform

Childcare costs follow predictable geographic patterns that mirror housing costs and cost of living more broadly:

Highest-cost regions: The Northeast (especially New England and the greater NYC area), the Pacific Coast (California, Washington, Oregon), and the greater DC metro area. These regions combine high wages for childcare workers (driven by competition with other sectors), high real estate costs for providers, and often stricter licensing standards.

Fastest-growing regions: Historically affordable metros in the Sun Belt and Mountain West, places like Boise, Austin, Nashville, and Raleigh, have seen some of the steepest percentage increases as population growth drives up demand and operating costs for providers.

Most affordable regions: Rural counties in the South, Great Plains, and Appalachia generally have the lowest childcare costs. However, many of these areas also have the fewest providers per child, meaning low prices can coexist with severe access problems. A county with a low median price but only two licensed providers is not necessarily better off than a high-cost county with abundant options.

What Drives Childcare Prices Up

Childcare pricing is driven by a handful of structural factors that are largely outside individual providers' control:

Labor costs: Childcare is one of the most labor-intensive industries in the economy. Staff wages and benefits typically account for 60-70% of a provider's operating costs. When local wages rise, whether from minimum wage increases, competition from retail and food service, or general labor market tightening, childcare prices follow.

Staff-to-child ratios: State licensing requirements dictate how many children one adult can supervise. Stricter ratios mean more staff per child, which directly increases costs. States that have tightened ratios, even by one child, have seen measurable price increases.

Facility costs: Rent, utilities, insurance, and maintenance for childcare facilities have all risen. Providers in commercial real estate markets face the same rent pressures as other small businesses. Purpose-built childcare facilities require significant capital investment.

Regulatory compliance: Health, safety, and quality standards (background checks, training requirements, facility inspections, nutritional standards) add operational costs. These standards protect children but increase the cost of providing care.

Practical Framework: Using Cost Trend Data

Step 1, Use the record as historical context. Look up the stored county estimate for the matching care setting, age group, and source year. Do not use it as a current provider quote.

Step 2, obtain a current quote. Ask providers about current tuition, fees, schedules, availability, and any enrollment conditions.

Step 3, Evaluate care type tradeoffs. If center-based costs are stressing your budget, check home-based provider prices in your county. The savings may be substantial. Also compare school-age before/after care costs if your child is approaching kindergarten, that transition typically reduces childcare spending by 40-60%.

Step 4, Factor in subsidies and tax credits. Read our childcare subsidy guide and tax credits guide to understand what offsets may be available. Subsidies can bridge a significant portion of the cost gap, especially for families below 85% of state median income.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much has childcare cost increased since 2018?

This portal’s source data covers 2008–2022. It does not establish a price after 2022.

Why is infant care more expensive than preschool care?

Infant care is more expensive primarily because of mandated staff-to-child ratios. Most states require one caregiver for every 3-4 infants, compared to 1:8 or 1:10 for preschoolers. More staff per child directly increases the cost of providing care.

Is center-based or home-based childcare more affordable?

Compare the historical center- and family-based fields for the same county, age group, and year. Confirm current tuition and availability with providers.

Which states have the highest childcare costs?

The state comparison page computes the 2022 county-weighted averages in this site’s database. It is not a current ranking.