Childcare Cost Rankings
Top 25 counties by cost and affordability of center-based infant care
Inclusion floor: every ranked county must have both an NDCP center-based infant price and a Census ACS median household income (>$0). Affordability tabs use cost ÷ income among those 2,661 counties only; counties missing either input are excluded so a thin income figure cannot invent a #1 burden rate. Cohort average cost burden: 15.2% of median income.
Ranked by reported cost only, not a quality, safety, or licensing rating. Verify licensing and inspection history directly with providers or your state's Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency before choosing care.
Not ranked here: Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, AK (2008 survey), Bedford City, VA (2013 survey) and Valdez-Cordova Census Area, AK (2019 survey). The newest DOL NDCP figures for these counties are older than the 2022 figures every ranked county uses, so a price from those years is not sorted against 2022 prices. Their own pages show the data as published.
| # | County | Infant Cost | Median Income | % of Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne County Kentucky | $4,704 | $41,583 | 11.3% |
| 2 | Barnwell County South Carolina | $4,882 | $42,470 | 11.5% |
| 3 | Allen County Kansas | $4,971 | $55,059 | 9.0% |
| 4 | Anderson County Kansas | $4,971 | $67,651 | 7.3% |
| 5 | Atchison County Kansas | $4,971 | $55,281 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Barber County Kansas | $4,971 | $53,774 | 9.2% |
| 7 | Barton County Kansas | $4,971 | $54,634 | 9.1% |
| 8 | Bourbon County Kansas | $4,971 | $55,826 | 8.9% |
| 9 | Brown County Kansas | $4,971 | $55,876 | 8.9% |
| 10 | Chase County Kansas | $4,971 | $52,481 | 9.5% |
| 11 | Chautauqua County Kansas | $4,971 | $51,210 | 9.7% |
| 12 | Cherokee County Kansas | $4,971 | $53,382 | 9.3% |
| 13 | Clay County Kansas | $4,971 | $57,765 | 8.6% |
| 14 | Cloud County Kansas | $4,971 | $51,197 | 9.7% |
| 15 | Coffey County Kansas | $4,971 | $67,645 | 7.3% |
| 16 | Comanche County Kansas | $4,971 | $49,754 | 10.0% |
| 17 | Cowley County Kansas | $4,971 | $55,726 | 8.9% |
| 18 | Crawford County Kansas | $4,971 | $49,779 | 10.0% |
| 19 | Decatur County Kansas | $4,971 | $49,412 | 10.1% |
| 20 | Dickinson County Kansas | $4,971 | $62,971 | 7.9% |
| 21 | Doniphan County Kansas | $4,971 | $66,358 | 7.5% |
| 22 | Edwards County Kansas | $4,971 | $52,750 | 9.4% |
| 23 | Elk County Kansas | $4,971 | $50,000 | 9.9% |
| 24 | Ellsworth County Kansas | $4,971 | $59,844 | 8.3% |
| 25 | Finney County Kansas | $4,971 | $68,481 | 7.3% |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Affordability = annual infant center cost / median household income