Avg Infant (Center)
$7,444 /yr
Across 83 Michigan counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Michigan
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Michigan ranks #9 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $7,444
- Avg infant (center)
- -22%
- Vs. national avg
- #9 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Michigan statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $7,444 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $6,321 County min–max gap
- RANK #9 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 83 Reporting counties
- MIN $5,545 Cheapest county
- MAX $11,866 Priciest county
- PHOTO Louisiana Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,636 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$7,221 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$5,545 – $11,866
Lowest to highest county
Michigan center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Michigan infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 46.5%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Michigan 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 Michigan, starting at $5,545/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Michigan, up to $11,866/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Michigan
Across Michigan's 83 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $7,444/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $7,636/year, preschool $7,221/year. Michigan's age-tier pricing doesn't follow the smooth step-down most states show between infant, toddler, and preschool care. County stickers run $5,545 to $11,866 (Δ $6,321/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $5,385 | 12.9% |
| Alger County | $7,052 | $7,772 | $7,772 | 12.7% |
| Allegan County | $6,427 | $6,534 | $6,534 | 8.5% |
| Alpena County | $5,766 | $6,205 | $6,205 | 11.7% |
| Antrim County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,926 | 10.1% |
| Arenac County | $7,001 | $7,239 | $7,239 | 13.1% |
| Baraga County | $9,261 | $9,261 | $9,143 | 17.8% |
| Barry County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $6,159 | 10.4% |
| Bay County | $8,836 | $9,354 | $9,354 | 15.3% |
| Benzie County | $6,906 | $7,665 | $7,665 | 9.7% |
| Berrien County | $7,131 | $7,131 | $5,933 | 11.8% |
| Branch County | $6,698 | $6,698 | $5,253 | 11.1% |
| Calhoun County | $6,985 | $7,022 | $7,022 | 12.0% |
| Cass County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,284 | 10.6% |
| Charlevoix County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,926 | 9.9% |
| Cheboygan County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $5,305 | 10.9% |
| Chippewa County | $6,759 | $7,516 | $7,516 | 11.6% |
| Clare County | $7,230 | $7,230 | $6,820 | 15.1% |
| Clinton County | $8,091 | $8,091 | $7,370 | 9.8% |
| Crawford County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $6,240 | 11.2% |
| Delta County | $7,470 | $8,137 | $8,137 | 13.9% |
| Dickinson County | $8,145 | $8,167 | $8,167 | 13.7% |
| Eaton County | $8,091 | $8,091 | $7,532 | 10.5% |
| Emmet County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,926 | 9.9% |
| Genesee County | $7,919 | $8,094 | $8,094 | 13.5% |
| Gladwin County | $6,858 | $7,114 | $7,114 | 12.8% |
| Gogebic County | $9,443 | $9,443 | $9,302 | 19.7% |
| Grand Traverse County | $8,320 | $8,320 | $8,091 | 11.0% |
| Gratiot County | $7,371 | $7,371 | $6,944 | 12.7% |
| Hillsdale County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $5,354 | 10.9% |
| Houghton County | $7,607 | $7,696 | $7,696 | 14.4% |
| Huron County | $6,174 | $6,677 | $6,677 | 11.3% |
| Ingham County | $8,778 | $8,778 | $6,473 | 14.0% |
| Ionia County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,288 | 9.7% |
| Iosco County | $6,880 | $7,132 | $7,132 | 14.9% |
| Iron County | $9,261 | $9,261 | $9,143 | 17.7% |
| Isabella County | $7,634 | $7,634 | $5,776 | 14.5% |
| Jackson County | $5,985 | $6,131 | $6,131 | 9.6% |
| Kalamazoo County | $8,320 | $8,320 | $7,028 | 12.3% |
| Kalkaska County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,458 | 12.3% |
| Kent County | $9,006 | $9,006 | $7,080 | 11.8% |
| Keweenaw County | $8,289 | $8,292 | $8,292 | 14.9% |
| Lake County | $8,496 | $8,496 | $8,084 | 18.5% |
| Lapeer County | $7,519 | $7,744 | $7,744 | 10.0% |
| Leelanau County | $8,320 | $8,320 | $8,091 | 10.1% |
| Lenawee County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $6,240 | 9.9% |
| Livingston County | $11,269 | $11,269 | $9,050 | 11.7% |
| Luce County | $6,581 | $7,360 | $7,360 | 12.9% |
| Mackinac County | $7,007 | $7,732 | $7,732 | 11.6% |
| Macomb County | $9,303 | $9,303 | $9,211 | 12.6% |
| Manistee County | $8,427 | $8,995 | $8,995 | 14.2% |
| Marquette County | $7,417 | $7,530 | $7,530 | 11.8% |
| Mason County | $7,570 | $7,570 | $7,274 | 12.5% |
| Mecosta County | $5,781 | $6,790 | $6,790 | 10.7% |
| Menominee County | $7,665 | $8,309 | $8,309 | 14.2% |
| Midland County | $6,892 | $7,652 | $7,652 | 9.4% |
| Missaukee County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,033 | 12.0% |
| Monroe County | $7,159 | $7,159 | $6,914 | 9.9% |
| Montcalm County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,507 | 11.3% |
| Montmorency County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $5,664 | 14.0% |
| Muskegon County | $6,296 | $6,570 | $6,570 | 10.3% |
| Newaygo County | $7,707 | $7,707 | $7,394 | 13.0% |
| Oakland County | $10,211 | $10,211 | $9,206 | 11.0% |
| Oceana County | $7,763 | $7,763 | $7,443 | 12.8% |
| Ogemaw County | $6,364 | $6,681 | $6,681 | 12.6% |
| Ontonagon County | $9,261 | $9,261 | $9,143 | 19.2% |
| Osceola County | $6,055 | $7,030 | $7,030 | 11.0% |
| Oscoda County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $5,008 | 13.3% |
| Otsego County | $6,469 | $6,469 | $6,240 | 10.3% |
| Ottawa County | $8,549 | $8,549 | $6,886 | 10.2% |
| Presque Isle County | $5,558 | $6,023 | $6,023 | 9.9% |
| Roscommon County | $6,610 | $6,896 | $6,896 | 13.2% |
| Saginaw County | $7,863 | $7,921 | $7,921 | 13.9% |
| Sanilac County | $5,792 | $6,342 | $6,342 | 10.4% |
| Schoolcraft County | $7,230 | $7,927 | $7,927 | 13.1% |
| Shiawassee County | $8,288 | $8,417 | $8,417 | 13.3% |
| St. Clair County | $8,441 | $8,441 | $7,490 | 12.6% |
| St. Joseph County | $6,698 | $6,698 | $5,327 | 10.8% |
| Tuscola County | $5,545 | $6,126 | $6,126 | 9.3% |
| Van Buren County | $6,926 | $6,926 | $6,389 | 10.6% |
| Washtenaw County | $11,866 | $11,866 | $11,672 | 14.1% |
| Wayne County | $9,214 | $9,214 | $8,562 | 16.1% |
| Wexford County | $5,632 | $6,660 | $6,660 | 9.6% |
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.