Avg Infant (Center)
$8,306 /yr
Across 99 Iowa counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Iowa
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Iowa ranks #13 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,306
- Avg infant (center)
- -13%
- Vs. national avg
- #13 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Iowa statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $8,306 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $1,939 County min–max gap
- RANK #13 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 99 Reporting counties
- MIN $7,703 Cheapest county
- MAX $9,642 Priciest county
- PHOTO Wyoming Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,157 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$7,157 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$7,703 – $9,642
Lowest to highest county
Iowa center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Iowa ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$8,306 Among the most affordable more affordable than 71% 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
Iowa infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 51.9%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Iowa 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 Iowa, starting at $7,703/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Iowa, up to $9,642/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Iowa
Across Iowa's 99 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $8,306/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $7,157/year, preschool $7,157/year. Unusually, Iowa's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age. County stickers run $7,703 to $9,642 (Δ $1,939/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $8,271 | $7,127 | $7,127 | 13.1% |
| Adams County | $8,484 | $7,311 | $7,311 | 13.1% |
| Allamakee County | $8,267 | $7,124 | $7,124 | 12.9% |
| Appanoose County | $8,062 | $6,947 | $6,947 | 15.9% |
| Audubon County | $8,274 | $7,130 | $7,130 | 15.1% |
| Benton County | $8,479 | $7,306 | $7,306 | 10.7% |
| Black Hawk County | $8,747 | $7,537 | $7,537 | 14.0% |
| Boone County | $8,462 | $7,291 | $7,291 | 11.2% |
| Bremer County | $8,283 | $7,138 | $7,138 | 9.8% |
| Buchanan County | $8,252 | $7,111 | $7,111 | 11.2% |
| Buena Vista County | $8,186 | $7,054 | $7,054 | 13.1% |
| Butler County | $8,365 | $7,208 | $7,208 | 12.7% |
| Calhoun County | $8,194 | $7,061 | $7,061 | 12.5% |
| Carroll County | $7,946 | $6,846 | $6,846 | 11.7% |
| Cass County | $7,922 | $6,827 | $6,827 | 13.0% |
| Cedar County | $8,675 | $7,475 | $7,475 | 11.3% |
| Cerro Gordo County | $8,285 | $7,139 | $7,139 | 13.1% |
| Cherokee County | $7,796 | $6,718 | $6,718 | 12.3% |
| Chickasaw County | $8,382 | $7,223 | $7,223 | 11.5% |
| Clarke County | $7,938 | $6,840 | $6,840 | 12.6% |
| Clay County | $8,092 | $6,973 | $6,973 | 13.1% |
| Clayton County | $8,308 | $7,158 | $7,158 | 13.7% |
| Clinton County | $8,223 | $7,086 | $7,086 | 13.5% |
| Crawford County | $8,027 | $6,917 | $6,917 | 13.1% |
| Dallas County | $9,642 | $8,309 | $8,309 | 9.7% |
| Davis County | $8,692 | $7,490 | $7,490 | 11.3% |
| Decatur County | $7,911 | $6,817 | $6,817 | 14.1% |
| Delaware County | $8,353 | $7,198 | $7,198 | 11.0% |
| Des Moines County | $8,483 | $7,310 | $7,310 | 14.6% |
| Dickinson County | $8,605 | $7,415 | $7,415 | 11.9% |
| Dubuque County | $8,640 | $7,445 | $7,445 | 11.8% |
| Emmet County | $8,015 | $6,907 | $6,907 | 12.4% |
| Fayette County | $8,425 | $7,259 | $7,259 | 15.0% |
| Floyd County | $7,703 | $6,638 | $6,638 | 12.4% |
| Franklin County | $7,953 | $6,853 | $6,853 | 12.8% |
| Fremont County | $8,251 | $7,110 | $7,110 | 11.9% |
| Greene County | $8,310 | $7,160 | $7,160 | 14.6% |
| Grundy County | $8,406 | $7,244 | $7,244 | 10.4% |
| Guthrie County | $8,534 | $7,354 | $7,354 | 11.3% |
| Hamilton County | $8,356 | $7,200 | $7,200 | 12.5% |
| Hancock County | $8,481 | $7,308 | $7,308 | 12.5% |
| Hardin County | $8,370 | $7,213 | $7,213 | 12.9% |
| Harrison County | $8,634 | $7,440 | $7,440 | 11.4% |
| Henry County | $8,016 | $6,907 | $6,907 | 12.9% |
| Howard County | $7,963 | $6,862 | $6,862 | 12.5% |
| Humboldt County | $7,830 | $6,747 | $6,747 | 11.8% |
| Ida County | $8,022 | $6,912 | $6,912 | 12.7% |
| Iowa County | $8,328 | $7,176 | $7,176 | 11.9% |
| Jackson County | $8,043 | $6,931 | $6,931 | 11.5% |
| Jasper County | $8,304 | $7,156 | $7,156 | 12.3% |
| Jefferson County | $8,322 | $7,171 | $7,171 | 15.9% |
| Johnson County | $9,183 | $7,913 | $7,913 | 12.6% |
| Jones County | $7,936 | $6,839 | $6,839 | 11.5% |
| Keokuk County | $8,325 | $7,173 | $7,173 | 13.9% |
| Kossuth County | $8,301 | $7,153 | $7,153 | 13.3% |
| Lee County | $8,170 | $7,040 | $7,040 | 14.1% |
| Linn County | $8,631 | $7,437 | $7,437 | 11.4% |
| Louisa County | $8,388 | $7,227 | $7,227 | 11.6% |
| Lucas County | $8,164 | $7,035 | $7,035 | 12.9% |
| Lyon County | $8,486 | $7,313 | $7,313 | 11.5% |
| Madison County | $8,763 | $7,551 | $7,551 | 9.9% |
| Mahaska County | $8,171 | $7,041 | $7,041 | 12.5% |
| Marion County | $8,434 | $7,268 | $7,268 | 11.4% |
| Marshall County | $8,379 | $7,220 | $7,220 | 11.8% |
| Mills County | $8,459 | $7,289 | $7,289 | 10.3% |
| Mitchell County | $8,009 | $6,901 | $6,901 | 12.1% |
| Monona County | $8,379 | $7,220 | $7,220 | 14.0% |
| Monroe County | $8,061 | $6,946 | $6,946 | 10.6% |
| Montgomery County | $7,983 | $6,879 | $6,879 | 13.0% |
| Muscatine County | $8,691 | $7,489 | $7,489 | 12.9% |
| O'Brien County | $7,914 | $6,820 | $6,820 | 12.2% |
| Osceola County | $8,269 | $7,125 | $7,125 | 12.2% |
| Page County | $8,046 | $6,933 | $6,933 | 13.8% |
| Palo Alto County | $7,736 | $6,666 | $6,666 | 11.5% |
| Plymouth County | $8,367 | $7,209 | $7,209 | 10.5% |
| Pocahontas County | $8,302 | $7,154 | $7,154 | 13.5% |
| Polk County | $9,220 | $7,945 | $7,945 | 11.7% |
| Pottawattamie County | $8,758 | $7,547 | $7,547 | 12.7% |
| Poweshiek County | $8,396 | $7,235 | $7,235 | 13.7% |
| Ringgold County | $8,213 | $7,077 | $7,077 | 12.1% |
| Sac County | $7,968 | $6,866 | $6,866 | 11.6% |
| Scott County | $8,750 | $7,539 | $7,539 | 12.0% |
| Shelby County | $8,524 | $7,345 | $7,345 | 12.1% |
| Sioux County | $8,309 | $7,160 | $7,160 | 10.1% |
| Story County | $8,858 | $7,633 | $7,633 | 13.4% |
| Tama County | $8,623 | $7,430 | $7,430 | 13.2% |
| Taylor County | $8,001 | $6,894 | $6,894 | 12.1% |
| Union County | $7,945 | $6,846 | $6,846 | 14.1% |
| Van Buren County | $8,050 | $6,936 | $6,936 | 13.8% |
| Wapello County | $8,560 | $7,376 | $7,376 | 15.2% |
| Warren County | $8,804 | $7,586 | $7,586 | 9.8% |
| Washington County | $8,433 | $7,267 | $7,267 | 11.9% |
| Wayne County | $7,939 | $6,841 | $6,841 | 13.6% |
| Webster County | $8,091 | $6,972 | $6,972 | 12.4% |
| Winnebago County | $7,836 | $6,753 | $6,753 | 12.5% |
| Winneshiek County | $8,151 | $7,024 | $7,024 | 12.0% |
| Woodbury County | $8,623 | $7,430 | $7,430 | 12.6% |
| Worth County | $8,176 | $7,045 | $7,045 | 11.7% |
| Wright County | $8,012 | $6,904 | $6,904 | 13.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Iowa rank on childcare costs nationally?
Iowa's average center-based infant care ($8,306/yr) is cheaper than 71% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #13 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Iowa than the national average?
Iowa's average infant care price runs 13% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Iowa?
Yes - Iowa's 99 reporting counties range from $7,703 to $9,642/yr for infant care, a $1,939 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Iowa?
Unusually, Iowa's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age.
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.