Avg Infant (Center)
$7,315 /yr
Across 44 Idaho counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Idaho
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Idaho ranks #7 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $7,315
- Avg infant (center)
- -24%
- Vs. national avg
- #7 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Idaho statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $7,315 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $5,296 County min–max gap
- RANK #7 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 44 Reporting counties
- MIN $5,520 Cheapest county
- MAX $10,816 Priciest county
- PHOTO Kentucky Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,002 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$6,437 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$5,520 – $10,816
Lowest to highest county
Idaho center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Idaho ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$7,315 Among the most affordable more affordable than 84% 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 · 2026-07-05
Idaho infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 45.7%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Idaho 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 Idaho, starting at $5,520/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Idaho, up to $10,816/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Idaho
Across Idaho's 44 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $7,315/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $7,002/year, preschool $6,437/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Idaho - infant care runs only 14% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $5,520 to $10,816 (Δ $5,296/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | $10,816 | $10,789 | $9,912 | 12.9% |
| Adams County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 11.8% |
| Bannock County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.8% |
| Bear Lake County | $8,995 | $8,322 | $7,585 | 14.2% |
| Benewah County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 11.6% |
| Bingham County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 9.5% |
| Blaine County | $10,816 | $10,789 | $9,912 | 13.2% |
| Boise County | $7,913 | $7,432 | $6,694 | 11.2% |
| Bonner County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 14.0% |
| Bonneville County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 11.8% |
| Boundary County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 10.6% |
| Butte County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 17.7% |
| Camas County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.4% |
| Canyon County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 12.6% |
| Caribou County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.1% |
| Cassia County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 9.9% |
| Clark County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 12.3% |
| Clearwater County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 15.5% |
| Custer County | $5,520 | $5,432 | $4,965 | 9.1% |
| Elmore County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 11.4% |
| Franklin County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 10.1% |
| Fremont County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 9.9% |
| Gem County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 9.6% |
| Gooding County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.8% |
| Idaho County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 12.1% |
| Jefferson County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 8.5% |
| Jerome County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 9.8% |
| Kootenai County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 12.0% |
| Latah County | $10,816 | $10,789 | $9,912 | 17.4% |
| Lemhi County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 17.6% |
| Lewis County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 13.5% |
| Lincoln County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.6% |
| Madison County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 12.5% |
| Minidoka County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.4% |
| Nez Perce County | $8,653 | $8,031 | $7,294 | 13.3% |
| Oneida County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 9.3% |
| Owyhee County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 10.7% |
| Payette County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 10.0% |
| Power County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 11.6% |
| Shoshone County | $6,260 | $6,031 | $5,565 | 14.0% |
| Teton County | $10,816 | $10,789 | $9,912 | 12.2% |
| Twin Falls County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 10.8% |
| Valley County | $7,913 | $7,432 | $6,694 | 10.9% |
| Washington County | $6,602 | $6,322 | $5,855 | 13.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Idaho rank on childcare costs nationally?
Idaho's average center-based infant care ($7,315/yr) is cheaper than 84% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #7 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Idaho than the national average?
Idaho's average infant care price runs 24% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Idaho?
Yes - Idaho's 44 reporting counties range from $5,520 to $10,816/yr for infant care, a $5,296 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Idaho?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Idaho - infant care runs only 14% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states.
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 July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.