Avg Infant (Center)
$10,505 /yr
Across 53 Florida counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Florida
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Florida ranks #20 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,505
- Avg infant (center)
- +10%
- Vs. national avg
- #20 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Florida statewide sticker posture
- PRICE PAR vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $10,505 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $9,100 County min–max gap
- RANK #20 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 53 Reporting counties
- MIN $6,760 Cheapest county
- MAX $15,860 Priciest county
- PHOTO Virginia Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$8,611 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$7,983 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$6,760 – $15,860
Lowest to highest county
Florida center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Florida ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$10,505 more affordable than 56% 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
Florida infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 65.7%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Florida 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 Florida, starting at $6,760/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Florida, up to $15,860/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Florida
Across Florida's 53 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $10,505/year (PAR vs the national mean), toddler $8,611/year, preschool $7,983/year. Costs step down gradually with age here, tracking the typical national pattern where lower infant staffing ratios drive early-years pricing higher. County stickers run $6,760 to $15,860 (Δ $9,100/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | $13,000 | $9,490 | $8,320 | 22.6% |
| Baker County | $7,280 | $6,500 | $5,980 | 10.7% |
| Bay County | $11,180 | $9,360 | $8,580 | 16.9% |
| Bradford County | $9,100 | $8,580 | $7,540 | 16.6% |
| Brevard County | $10,400 | $8,684 | $8,060 | 14.6% |
| Broward County | $12,116 | $9,880 | $9,360 | 17.2% |
| Calhoun County | $10,400 | $8,320 | $7,540 | 25.0% |
| Charlotte County | $10,348 | $9,360 | $8,944 | 16.6% |
| Citrus County | $9,100 | $7,280 | $6,760 | 17.3% |
| Clay County | $10,400 | $8,840 | $8,060 | 12.6% |
| Collier County | $11,708 | $10,140 | $9,672 | 14.3% |
| Columbia County | $8,112 | $6,760 | $6,136 | 15.2% |
| DeSoto County | N/A | $5,720 | $5,720 | N/A |
| Dixie County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Duval County | $11,700 | $9,516 | $8,580 | 17.8% |
| Escambia County | $9,620 | $8,107 | $7,540 | 15.6% |
| Flagler County | $11,440 | $9,880 | $8,840 | 16.5% |
| Franklin County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gadsden County | $7,150 | $5,980 | $5,460 | 15.6% |
| Gilchrist County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Glades County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gulf County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Hamilton County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Hardee County | $7,800 | $6,760 | $6,240 | 17.5% |
| Hendry County | $9,100 | $8,060 | $7,644 | 18.5% |
| Hernando County | $8,580 | $6,500 | $5,980 | 14.5% |
| Highlands County | $8,840 | $7,280 | $7,020 | 16.5% |
| Hillsborough County | $12,480 | $9,880 | $9,100 | 17.7% |
| Holmes County | N/A | $8,320 | $7,540 | N/A |
| Indian River County | $9,620 | $8,320 | $7,800 | 14.2% |
| Jackson County | $10,400 | $8,320 | $7,540 | 22.5% |
| Jefferson County | $7,800 | $7,280 | $6,318 | 15.1% |
| Lafayette County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Lake County | $10,400 | $8,736 | $8,580 | 15.7% |
| Lee County | $10,400 | $8,320 | $7,800 | 15.0% |
| Leon County | $9,360 | $8,216 | $7,805 | 15.3% |
| Levy County | $9,100 | $6,500 | $6,240 | 18.2% |
| Liberty County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Madison County | $7,280 | $6,240 | $6,240 | 16.8% |
| Manatee County | $11,440 | $9,620 | $8,580 | 16.0% |
| Marion County | $9,620 | $8,060 | $7,384 | 17.4% |
| Martin County | $12,480 | $9,880 | $9,100 | 16.0% |
| Miami-Dade County | $10,400 | $8,840 | $8,060 | 16.2% |
| Monroe County | $10,400 | $9,360 | $9,100 | 13.0% |
| Nassau County | $9,880 | $8,648 | $8,320 | 11.8% |
| Okaloosa County | $11,700 | $9,620 | $8,580 | 15.8% |
| Okeechobee County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Orange County | $11,700 | $9,360 | $8,320 | 16.1% |
| Osceola County | $10,556 | $8,840 | $8,320 | 16.4% |
| Palm Beach County | $15,860 | $12,753 | $11,440 | 20.9% |
| Pasco County | $11,700 | $8,840 | $8,580 | 18.5% |
| Pinellas County | $15,600 | $9,620 | $8,684 | 23.5% |
| Polk County | $11,960 | $8,060 | $7,280 | 19.6% |
| Putnam County | $8,167 | $6,570 | $5,720 | 18.2% |
| Santa Rosa County | $12,220 | $9,360 | $8,580 | 14.4% |
| Sarasota County | $10,920 | $10,028 | $9,620 | 14.1% |
| Seminole County | $12,948 | $10,400 | $9,880 | 16.3% |
| St. Johns County | $14,560 | $12,740 | $12,220 | 14.6% |
| St. Lucie County | $12,220 | $9,360 | $8,736 | 18.5% |
| Sumter County | $11,700 | $9,620 | $9,100 | 16.7% |
| Suwannee County | $6,760 | $5,720 | $5,200 | 13.6% |
| Taylor County | N/A | $5,340 | $4,869 | N/A |
| Union County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Volusia County | $10,400 | $8,320 | $7,800 | 16.5% |
| Wakulla County | $9,006 | $6,846 | $6,544 | 12.5% |
| Walton County | $10,400 | $8,840 | $8,320 | 13.9% |
| Washington County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Florida rank on childcare costs nationally?
Florida's average center-based infant care ($10,505/yr) is cheaper than 56% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #20 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Florida than the national average?
Florida's average infant care price runs 10% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a PAR band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Florida?
Yes - Florida's 53 reporting counties range from $6,760 to $15,860/yr for infant care, a $9,100 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Florida?
Costs step down gradually with age here, tracking the typical national pattern where lower infant staffing ratios drive early-years pricing higher.
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.