Avg Infant (Center)
$12,257 /yr
Across 58 Illinois counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Illinois
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Illinois ranks #31 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $12,257
- Avg infant (center)
- +28%
- Vs. national avg
- #31 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Illinois statewide sticker posture
- PRICE HIGH vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $12,257 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $12,664 County min–max gap
- RANK #31 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 58 Reporting counties
- MIN $6,801 Cheapest county
- MAX $19,465 Priciest county
- PHOTO Oregon Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$10,556 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$9,481 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$6,801 – $19,465
Lowest to highest county
Illinois center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Illinois ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$12,257 more affordable than 31% 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
Illinois infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 76.6%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Illinois 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 Illinois, starting at $6,801/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Illinois, up to $19,465/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Illinois
Across Illinois's 58 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $12,257/year (HIGH vs the national mean), toddler $10,556/year, preschool $9,481/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 $6,801 to $19,465 (Δ $12,664/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $11,134 | $7,887 | $7,887 | 17.5% |
| Alexander County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bond County | $9,921 | $10,313 | $10,660 | 16.9% |
| Boone County | $14,993 | $11,527 | $9,447 | 18.6% |
| Brown County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bureau County | $10,773 | $9,447 | $6,240 | 16.8% |
| Calhoun County | N/A | N/A | $6,004 | N/A |
| Carroll County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Cass County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Champaign County | $16,092 | $14,300 | $12,428 | 26.3% |
| Christian County | $8,083 | $8,233 | $7,367 | 14.2% |
| Clark County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Clay County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Clinton County | $9,560 | $8,857 | $8,441 | 12.2% |
| Coles County | $8,995 | $8,233 | $7,713 | 16.7% |
| Cook County | $14,473 | $11,440 | $9,837 | 18.5% |
| Crawford County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Cumberland County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| De Witt County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| DeKalb County | $15,222 | $12,480 | $12,263 | 22.2% |
| Douglas County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| DuPage County | $19,465 | $14,560 | $16,423 | 18.2% |
| Edgar County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Edwards County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Effingham County | $7,872 | $7,332 | $6,500 | 10.8% |
| Fayette County | $7,990 | $7,772 | $6,500 | 15.4% |
| Ford County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Franklin County | $9,921 | $8,580 | $7,193 | 19.4% |
| Fulton County | $9,591 | $8,992 | $8,618 | 16.8% |
| Gallatin County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Greene County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Grundy County | $13,734 | $10,660 | $9,852 | 15.3% |
| Hamilton County | $6,801 | $5,460 | $5,807 | 11.2% |
| Hancock County | N/A | N/A | $4,767 | N/A |
| Hardin County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Henderson County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Henry County | $11,796 | $10,660 | $9,481 | 17.8% |
| Iroquois County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jackson County | $13,734 | $11,353 | $9,620 | 30.6% |
| Jasper County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jefferson County | $12,694 | $10,660 | $9,273 | 21.7% |
| Jersey County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jo Daviess County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Johnson County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Kane County | $17,070 | $13,173 | $14,413 | 17.7% |
| Kankakee County | $10,487 | $10,348 | $6,902 | 16.0% |
| Kendall County | $14,868 | $12,203 | $11,847 | 14.0% |
| Knox County | $16,161 | $13,087 | $13,433 | 32.2% |
| Lake County | $15,881 | $12,827 | $12,263 | 15.2% |
| LaSalle County | $13,734 | $9,620 | $8,927 | 20.2% |
| Lawrence County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Lee County | $12,694 | $13,087 | $8,233 | 19.7% |
| Livingston County | $9,227 | N/A | $7,887 | 13.5% |
| Logan County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Macon County | $12,008 | $10,660 | $9,967 | 20.1% |
| Macoupin County | $10,267 | $9,204 | $9,818 | 15.9% |
| Madison County | $14,993 | $12,220 | $10,833 | 20.9% |
| Marion County | $8,562 | $7,887 | $6,847 | 14.5% |
| Marshall County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mason County | N/A | N/A | $11,007 | N/A |
| Massac County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| McDonough County | $8,496 | $9,412 | $8,233 | 17.4% |
| McHenry County | $16,408 | $13,312 | $14,621 | 16.4% |
| McLean County | $16,311 | $14,647 | $14,508 | 21.6% |
| Menard County | $9,865 | $8,857 | $8,441 | 11.6% |
| Mercer County | $9,574 | N/A | $8,927 | 14.3% |
| Monroe County | $10,435 | $9,793 | $8,753 | 10.4% |
| Montgomery County | $9,921 | $9,620 | $8,233 | 16.1% |
| Morgan County | $11,727 | $8,927 | $8,209 | 19.2% |
| Moultrie County | $9,921 | $8,441 | $7,332 | 13.6% |
| Ogle County | $13,260 | $10,487 | $9,100 | 17.5% |
| Peoria County | $14,487 | $11,180 | $10,071 | 22.8% |
| Perry County | $9,227 | $10,660 | $8,927 | 16.4% |
| Piatt County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Pike County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Pope County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Pulaski County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Putnam County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Randolph County | $12,001 | $12,047 | $10,660 | 18.8% |
| Richland County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rock Island County | $14,647 | $11,180 | $9,100 | 22.7% |
| Saline County | $11,654 | $9,967 | $8,233 | 22.5% |
| Sangamon County | $10,185 | $9,793 | $9,100 | 14.2% |
| Schuyler County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Scott County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Shelby County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| St. Clair County | $12,376 | $10,140 | $8,407 | 18.0% |
| Stark County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Stephenson County | N/A | N/A | $5,529 | N/A |
| Tazewell County | $14,577 | $11,180 | $9,447 | 19.5% |
| Union County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Vermilion County | $9,227 | $7,887 | $6,500 | 17.5% |
| Wabash County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Warren County | N/A | N/A | $10,591 | N/A |
| Washington County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Wayne County | $13,734 | $10,660 | $8,927 | 25.7% |
| White County | $13,734 | $10,660 | $8,927 | 25.2% |
| Whiteside County | $12,289 | $10,903 | $9,100 | 19.6% |
| Will County | $15,825 | $14,647 | $13,260 | 15.3% |
| Williamson County | $13,734 | $10,660 | $8,927 | 22.8% |
| Winnebago County | $14,647 | $11,180 | $9,596 | 23.7% |
| Woodford County | $13,891 | $11,873 | $11,457 | 17.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Illinois rank on childcare costs nationally?
Illinois's average center-based infant care ($12,257/yr) is cheaper than only 31% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #31 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Illinois than the national average?
Illinois's average infant care price runs 28% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a HIGH band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Illinois?
Yes - Illinois's 58 reporting counties range from $6,801 to $19,465/yr for infant care, a $12,664 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Illinois?
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.