Avg Infant (Center)
$11,466 /yr
Across 56 Montana counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Montana
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Montana ranks #27 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $11,466
- Avg infant (center)
- +20%
- Vs. national avg
- #27 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Montana statewide sticker posture
- PRICE HIGH vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $11,466 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $2,991 County min–max gap
- RANK #27 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 56 Reporting counties
- MIN $10,225 Cheapest county
- MAX $13,216 Priciest county
- PHOTO Maine Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$11,929 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$10,243 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$10,225 – $13,216
Lowest to highest county
Montana center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Montana ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$11,466 more affordable than 40% 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
Montana infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 71.7%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Montana 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 Montana, starting at $10,225/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Montana, up to $13,216/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Montana
Across Montana's 56 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $11,466/year (HIGH vs the national mean), toddler $11,929/year, preschool $10,243/year. Montana's age-tier pricing doesn't follow the smooth step-down most states show between infant, toddler, and preschool care. County stickers run $10,225 to $13,216 (Δ $2,991/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead County | $11,053 | $11,517 | $9,877 | 19.8% |
| Big Horn County | $11,331 | $11,797 | $10,124 | 21.6% |
| Blaine County | $11,258 | $11,642 | $10,050 | 19.2% |
| Broadwater County | $11,482 | $11,963 | $10,260 | 18.6% |
| Carbon County | $11,473 | $12,032 | $10,260 | 17.2% |
| Carter County | $10,992 | $11,479 | $9,825 | 23.6% |
| Cascade County | $11,445 | $11,926 | $10,227 | 18.7% |
| Chouteau County | $11,100 | $11,504 | $9,912 | 21.4% |
| Custer County | $12,427 | $12,869 | $11,096 | 20.3% |
| Daniels County | $10,225 | $10,751 | $9,147 | 21.6% |
| Dawson County | $11,728 | $12,152 | $10,472 | 17.2% |
| Deer Lodge County | $10,814 | $11,193 | $9,655 | 23.3% |
| Fallon County | $12,203 | $12,664 | $10,899 | 15.3% |
| Fergus County | $10,890 | $11,390 | $9,736 | 18.7% |
| Flathead County | $11,547 | $12,104 | $10,326 | 17.0% |
| Gallatin County | $12,340 | $13,005 | $11,043 | 14.8% |
| Garfield County | $11,189 | $11,590 | $9,990 | 18.1% |
| Glacier County | $10,786 | $11,164 | $9,629 | 26.3% |
| Golden Valley County | $11,617 | $12,175 | $10,388 | 21.2% |
| Granite County | $11,039 | $11,460 | $9,859 | 20.5% |
| Hill County | $10,957 | $11,385 | $9,787 | 18.8% |
| Jefferson County | $11,893 | $12,450 | $10,633 | 16.1% |
| Judith Basin County | $10,853 | $11,294 | $9,696 | 18.5% |
| Lake County | $11,733 | $12,214 | $10,482 | 20.2% |
| Lewis and Clark County | $11,228 | $11,819 | $10,046 | 15.6% |
| Liberty County | $11,347 | $11,737 | $10,129 | 23.6% |
| Lincoln County | $11,651 | $12,115 | $10,407 | 26.1% |
| Madison County | $12,264 | $12,772 | $10,958 | 20.0% |
| McCone County | $11,071 | $11,493 | $9,888 | 14.0% |
| Meagher County | $10,847 | $11,301 | $9,692 | 19.5% |
| Mineral County | $11,428 | $11,832 | $10,203 | 20.4% |
| Missoula County | $11,363 | $11,961 | $10,167 | 17.0% |
| Musselshell County | $12,373 | $12,786 | $11,045 | 22.5% |
| Park County | $11,246 | $11,781 | $10,056 | 16.6% |
| Petroleum County | $11,163 | $11,552 | $9,965 | 19.3% |
| Phillips County | $11,245 | $11,632 | $10,039 | 18.4% |
| Pondera County | $11,319 | $11,735 | $10,107 | 18.9% |
| Powder River County | $11,923 | $12,365 | $10,648 | 19.8% |
| Powell County | $11,273 | $11,675 | $10,065 | 18.5% |
| Prairie County | $11,646 | $12,118 | $10,405 | 26.4% |
| Ravalli County | $11,716 | $12,239 | $10,473 | 17.4% |
| Richland County | $11,100 | $11,620 | $9,925 | 16.4% |
| Roosevelt County | $10,900 | $11,272 | $9,730 | 21.4% |
| Rosebud County | $11,390 | $11,796 | $10,169 | 19.8% |
| Sanders County | $11,114 | $11,572 | $9,930 | 23.6% |
| Sheridan County | $12,003 | $12,471 | $10,721 | 17.8% |
| Silver Bow County | $11,241 | $11,688 | $10,042 | 20.0% |
| Stillwater County | $12,202 | $12,688 | $10,901 | 15.6% |
| Sweet Grass County | $11,262 | $11,750 | $10,065 | 17.4% |
| Teton County | $12,515 | $12,959 | $11,174 | 19.2% |
| Toole County | $10,721 | $11,127 | $9,575 | 19.8% |
| Treasure County | $13,216 | $13,642 | $11,795 | 18.9% |
| Valley County | $10,883 | $11,284 | $9,718 | 18.2% |
| Wheatland County | $11,495 | $11,896 | $10,262 | 23.8% |
| Wibaux County | $12,807 | $13,297 | $11,439 | 21.8% |
| Yellowstone County | $11,788 | $12,341 | $10,540 | 16.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Montana rank on childcare costs nationally?
Montana's average center-based infant care ($11,466/yr) is cheaper than only 40% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #27 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Montana than the national average?
Montana's average infant care price runs 20% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a HIGH band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Montana?
Yes - Montana's 56 reporting counties range from $10,225 to $13,216/yr for infant care, a $2,991 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Montana?
Montana's age-tier pricing doesn't follow the smooth step-down most states show between infant, toddler, and preschool care.
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.