Most Expensive Childcare in Alaska
Ceiling price 53% above the Alaska infant average
Ranked by reported cost only, not a quality, safety, or licensing rating. A higher price does not imply better care; verify licensing and inspection history directly with providers or Alaska's Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency before choosing care.
Counties with Most Expensive Childcare
Not ranked here: Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, AK (2008 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 Care |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sitka City and Borough | $24,413/yr |
| 2 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | $20,551/yr |
| 3 | Anchorage Municipality | $18,819/yr |
| 4 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | $16,223/yr |
| 5 | Kodiak Island Borough | $14,604/yr |
| 6 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | $12,957/yr |
| 7 | Juneau City and Borough | $11,787/yr |
| 8 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | $8,052/yr |
Steep ceiling gap inside Alaska
Signature read: the top price sits 53% above the Alaska infant average — a steep in-state ceiling gap on this NDCP list. Sitka City and Borough posts $24,413/year — 53% over the $15,925 state average — with toddler $21,160 and preschool $18,720.
Only 8 Alaska counties carry a usable center infant price in NDCP for this board. Ranked by reported cost only — not quality, safety, or licensing.
Methodology
High-avg state board: counties sorted by NDCP center infant cost (2022), highest first; state benchmark $15,925/year.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) · 2022
DOL Women's Bureau NDCP · Alaska costliest-county board, 2022
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.