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 2,662 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.
#1Piute County, Utah sits at 35.7% of median income (20.5 pp above the 15.2% cohort average). Small ACS income cells still move this ratio sharply; treat the ranking as a cost-burden screen, not a verdict on care quality in that county.
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.
| # | County | Infant Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piute County | $11,895 |
| 2 | Suffolk County | $30,680 |
| 3 | Issaquena County | $6,190 |
| 4 | Bronx County | $15,600 |
| 5 | Humboldt County | $19,044 |
| 6 | Knox County | $16,161 |
| 7 | Fresno County | $21,611 |
| 8 | Pacific County | $18,580 |
| 9 | Athens County | $15,340 |
| 10 | Grays Harbor County | $18,580 |
| 11 | Wahkiakum County | $18,580 |
| 12 | Apache County | $11,700 |
| 13 | Stearns County | $22,395 |
| 14 | Jackson County | $13,734 |
| 15 | Huerfano County | $14,825 |
| 16 | Inyo County | $18,765 |
| 17 | Jefferson County | $15,340 |
| 18 | San Miguel County | $20,961 |
| 19 | Kern County | $18,337 |
| 20 | Jefferson County | $18,580 |
| 21 | Trumbull County | $15,340 |
| 22 | Yuba County | $18,987 |
| 23 | Clallam County | $18,580 |
| 24 | Holmes County | $8,046 |
| 25 | Klickitat County | $18,580 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Affordability = annual infant center cost / median household income