Avg Infant (Center)
$7,396 /yr
Across 64 Louisiana counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Louisiana
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Louisiana ranks #8 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $7,396
- Avg infant (center)
- -23%
- Vs. national avg
- #8 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Louisiana statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $7,396 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $2,080 County min–max gap
- RANK #8 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 64 Reporting counties
- MIN $6,240 Cheapest county
- MAX $8,320 Priciest county
- PHOTO Michigan Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,237 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$7,111 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$6,240 – $8,320
Lowest to highest county
Louisiana center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Louisiana ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$7,396 Among the most affordable more affordable than 82% 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
Louisiana infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 46.2%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Louisiana 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.
▼
Cheapest Childcare
Counties with the lowest infant care costs in Louisiana, starting at $6,240/yr
▲
Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Louisiana, up to $8,320/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Louisiana
Across Louisiana's 64 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $7,396/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $7,237/year, preschool $7,111/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Louisiana - infant care runs only 4% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $6,240 to $8,320 (Δ $2,080/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Parish | $8,233 | $7,903 | $7,627 | 18.3% |
| Allen Parish | $6,618 | $6,618 | $6,573 | 12.5% |
| Ascension Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 8.3% |
| Assumption Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 16.6% |
| Avoyelles Parish | $6,933 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 17.9% |
| Beauregard Parish | $6,618 | $6,618 | $6,573 | 9.7% |
| Bienville Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 20.0% |
| Bossier Parish | $8,164 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 12.6% |
| Caddo Parish | $8,164 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 17.2% |
| Calcasieu Parish | $7,973 | $7,658 | $7,326 | 12.4% |
| Caldwell Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 14.8% |
| Cameron Parish | $7,973 | $7,658 | $7,326 | 11.4% |
| Catahoula Parish | $6,933 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 14.4% |
| Claiborne Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 21.4% |
| Concordia Parish | $6,933 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 17.8% |
| De Soto Parish | $8,164 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 16.4% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | $7,453 | $7,280 | $7,138 | 12.0% |
| East Carroll Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 21.9% |
| East Feliciana Parish | $6,240 | $6,240 | $6,400 | 9.6% |
| Evangeline Parish | $6,863 | $6,863 | $6,888 | 19.9% |
| Franklin Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 16.4% |
| Grant Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 11.9% |
| Iberia Parish | $8,233 | $7,903 | $7,627 | 14.9% |
| Iberville Parish | $7,453 | $7,280 | $7,138 | 12.5% |
| Jackson Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 16.9% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | $7,973 | $7,658 | $7,326 | 15.2% |
| Jefferson Parish | $7,887 | $7,540 | $7,284 | 12.5% |
| Lafayette Parish | $8,233 | $7,903 | $7,627 | 12.4% |
| Lafourche Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 12.7% |
| LaSalle Parish | $8,320 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 13.9% |
| Lincoln Parish | $8,147 | $7,768 | $7,465 | 22.0% |
| Livingston Parish | $8,234 | $7,972 | $7,627 | 10.6% |
| Madison Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 19.6% |
| Morehouse Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 17.8% |
| Natchitoches Parish | $8,164 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 19.8% |
| Orleans Parish | $7,887 | $7,540 | $7,284 | 15.4% |
| Ouachita Parish | $8,147 | $7,768 | $7,465 | 16.5% |
| Plaquemines Parish | $7,887 | $7,540 | $7,284 | 10.1% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | $6,240 | $6,240 | $6,400 | 11.8% |
| Rapides Parish | $8,147 | $7,887 | $7,627 | 14.7% |
| Red River Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 15.6% |
| Richland Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 14.0% |
| Sabine Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 16.8% |
| St. Bernard Parish | $7,887 | $7,540 | $7,284 | 14.1% |
| St. Charles Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 9.8% |
| St. Helena Parish | $6,932 | $6,932 | $6,888 | 14.9% |
| St. James Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 12.4% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 12.0% |
| St. Landry Parish | $6,863 | $6,863 | $6,888 | 15.4% |
| St. Martin Parish | $8,233 | $7,903 | $7,627 | 16.2% |
| St. Mary Parish | $6,863 | $6,863 | $6,888 | 14.5% |
| St. Tammany Parish | $8,234 | $7,972 | $7,627 | 10.7% |
| Tangipahoa Parish | $8,234 | $7,972 | $7,627 | 14.9% |
| Tensas Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 19.0% |
| Terrebonne Parish | $7,800 | $7,540 | $7,280 | 12.4% |
| Union Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 14.4% |
| Vermilion Parish | $6,863 | $6,863 | $6,888 | 12.2% |
| Vernon Parish | $6,933 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 12.3% |
| Washington Parish | $6,932 | $6,932 | $6,888 | 16.6% |
| Webster Parish | $6,847 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 20.0% |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | $7,453 | $7,280 | $7,138 | 9.3% |
| West Carroll Parish | $6,760 | $6,728 | $6,720 | 15.0% |
| West Feliciana Parish | $7,453 | $7,280 | $7,138 | 10.4% |
| Winn Parish | $6,933 | $6,847 | $6,888 | 15.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Louisiana rank on childcare costs nationally?
Louisiana's average center-based infant care ($7,396/yr) is cheaper than 82% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #8 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Louisiana than the national average?
Louisiana's average infant care price runs 23% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Louisiana?
Yes - Louisiana's 64 reporting counties range from $6,240 to $8,320/yr for infant care, a $2,080 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Louisiana?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Louisiana - infant care runs only 4% 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 September 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.