Avg Infant (Center)
$17,920 /yr
Across 58 California counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in California
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), California ranks #43 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $17,920
- Avg infant (center)
- +87%
- Vs. national avg
- #43 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
California statewide sticker posture
- PRICE PEAK vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $17,920 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $20,011 County min–max gap
- RANK #43 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 58 Reporting counties
- MIN $11,533 Cheapest county
- MAX $31,544 Priciest county
- PHOTO Connecticut Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$12,300 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$11,385 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$11,533 – $31,544
Lowest to highest county
California center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where California ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$17,920 more affordable than 4% of 45 US states
Each bar is a $2.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. 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 · 2026-09-24
California infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 100.0%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows California infant care as a share of an $80,000 reference household income. The dark marker shows the HHS 7% threshold, anything past it is officially "unaffordable" by federal definition.
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Cheapest Childcare
Counties with the lowest infant care costs in California, starting at $11,533/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in California, up to $31,544/yr
Childcare Landscape Across California
Across California's 58 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $17,920/year (PEAK vs the national mean), toddler $12,300/year, preschool $11,385/year. The gap is wide here - infant care runs 57% above preschool, a steeper age-based curve than most states, reflecting a tighter infant staffing ratio. County stickers run $11,533 to $31,544 (Δ $20,011/yr). Licensing ratios and background checks are uniform statewide; density and subsidy acceptance are not - use the county table and Read-with drills below, not a clone licensing essay.
Counties
| County | Infant /yr | Toddler /yr | Preschool /yr | % of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $26,827 | $19,293 | $21,233 | 21.9% |
| Alpine County | $18,509 | $9,684 | $8,728 | 18.3% |
| Amador County | $12,218 | $9,683 | $7,564 | 16.3% |
| Butte County | $18,410 | $11,247 | $9,313 | 27.9% |
| Calaveras County | $15,131 | $10,203 | $8,449 | 19.5% |
| Colusa County | $13,768 | $9,595 | $7,945 | 19.8% |
| Contra Costa County | $25,052 | $17,980 | $19,788 | 20.9% |
| Del Norte County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.1% |
| El Dorado County | $23,398 | $15,088 | $11,838 | 23.6% |
| Fresno County | $21,611 | $12,990 | $10,554 | 31.9% |
| Glenn County | $12,387 | $9,460 | $7,833 | 19.3% |
| Humboldt County | $19,044 | $12,040 | $9,969 | 32.9% |
| Imperial County | $11,533 | $9,125 | $8,383 | 21.4% |
| Inyo County | $18,765 | $11,055 | $9,154 | 29.6% |
| Kern County | $18,337 | $10,716 | $8,873 | 28.7% |
| Kings County | $13,547 | $9,584 | $7,936 | 19.8% |
| Lake County | $13,594 | $10,200 | $8,446 | 24.2% |
| Lassen County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.6% |
| Los Angeles County | $13,363 | $11,480 | $11,699 | 16.0% |
| Madera County | $17,239 | $9,790 | $8,107 | 23.4% |
| Marin County | $28,504 | $20,474 | $22,534 | 20.1% |
| Mariposa County | $13,224 | $9,551 | $7,909 | 22.0% |
| Mendocino County | $14,459 | $10,541 | $8,729 | 23.6% |
| Merced County | $12,716 | $10,364 | $8,582 | 19.6% |
| Modoc County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 21.2% |
| Mono County | $19,237 | $12,501 | $14,710 | 23.4% |
| Monterey County | $20,953 | $13,118 | $10,277 | 23.0% |
| Napa County | $19,608 | $13,746 | $12,388 | 18.5% |
| Nevada County | $16,469 | $11,053 | $10,452 | 20.7% |
| Orange County | $20,473 | $14,647 | $13,200 | 18.7% |
| Placer County | $23,344 | $15,419 | $12,098 | 21.3% |
| Plumas County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 17.2% |
| Riverside County | $21,043 | $12,384 | $9,814 | 24.9% |
| Sacramento County | $18,040 | $11,512 | $13,546 | 21.5% |
| San Benito County | $20,071 | $12,001 | $13,207 | 19.2% |
| San Bernardino County | $19,981 | $11,511 | $8,996 | 25.8% |
| San Diego County | $19,719 | $13,999 | $12,616 | 20.3% |
| San Francisco County | $31,544 | $22,539 | $24,806 | 23.1% |
| San Joaquin County | $20,108 | $12,289 | $9,627 | 24.3% |
| San Luis Obispo County | $18,786 | $12,040 | $14,167 | 20.8% |
| San Mateo County | $28,837 | $20,655 | $22,733 | 19.2% |
| Santa Barbara County | $23,532 | $16,070 | $12,590 | 25.5% |
| Santa Clara County | $27,411 | $19,378 | $21,327 | 17.8% |
| Santa Cruz County | $24,798 | $16,941 | $13,292 | 23.8% |
| Shasta County | $12,910 | $9,472 | $11,146 | 18.9% |
| Sierra County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 19.1% |
| Siskiyou County | $13,802 | $10,600 | $11,489 | 25.6% |
| Solano County | $22,030 | $14,149 | $11,103 | 22.7% |
| Sonoma County | $12,647 | $10,410 | $10,610 | 12.7% |
| Stanislaus County | $16,449 | $11,353 | $8,894 | 22.0% |
| Sutter County | $15,947 | $10,230 | $12,039 | 21.9% |
| Tehama County | $12,261 | $9,442 | $7,818 | 20.8% |
| Trinity County | $11,670 | $9,296 | $7,698 | 24.7% |
| Tulare County | $12,494 | $9,928 | $8,221 | 19.4% |
| Tuolumne County | $14,010 | $10,779 | $8,420 | 19.9% |
| Ventura County | $22,085 | $14,136 | $15,557 | 21.6% |
| Yolo County | $20,135 | $13,779 | $16,215 | 23.7% |
| Yuba County | $18,987 | $11,400 | $9,263 | 28.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does California rank on childcare costs nationally?
California's average center-based infant care ($17,920/yr) is cheaper than only 4% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #43 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in California than the national average?
California's average infant care price runs 87% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a PEAK band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within California?
Yes - California's 58 reporting counties range from $11,533 to $31,544/yr for infant care, a $20,011 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in California?
The gap is wide here - infant care runs 57% above preschool, a steeper age-based curve than most states, reflecting a tighter infant staffing ratio.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Costs shown are annual estimates
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. State averages and county ranks are computed from the NDCP price tables joined to ACS median household income. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.