Avg Infant (Center)
$9,863 /yr
Across 93 Nebraska counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Nebraska
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Nebraska ranks #17 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $9,863
- Avg infant (center)
- +3%
- Vs. national avg
- #17 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Nebraska statewide sticker posture
- PRICE PAR vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $9,863 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $2,938 County min–max gap
- RANK #17 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 93 Reporting counties
- MIN $9,737 Cheapest county
- MAX $12,675 Priciest county
- PHOTO Nevada Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$9,338 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$8,545 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$9,737 – $12,675
Lowest to highest county
Nebraska center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Nebraska ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$9,863 Among the most affordable more affordable than 62% 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
Nebraska infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 61.6%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Nebraska 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 Nebraska, starting at $9,737/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Nebraska, up to $12,675/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Nebraska
Across Nebraska's 93 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $9,863/year (PAR vs the national mean), toddler $9,338/year, preschool $8,545/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Nebraska - infant care runs only 15% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $9,737 to $12,675 (Δ $2,938/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 | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.8% |
| Antelope County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.7% |
| Arthur County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.6% |
| Banner County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.6% |
| Blaine County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.7% |
| Boone County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.6% |
| Box Butte County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.3% |
| Boyd County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.0% |
| Brown County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 22.0% |
| Buffalo County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.9% |
| Burt County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.7% |
| Butler County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 12.9% |
| Cass County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 11.1% |
| Cedar County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.5% |
| Chase County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.0% |
| Cherry County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.6% |
| Cheyenne County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.0% |
| Clay County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.2% |
| Colfax County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.7% |
| Cuming County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.1% |
| Custer County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.6% |
| Dakota County | $12,675 | $11,759 | $10,660 | 19.2% |
| Dawes County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.1% |
| Dawson County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.4% |
| Deuel County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.5% |
| Dixon County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.1% |
| Dodge County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.6% |
| Douglas County | $12,675 | $11,759 | $10,660 | 16.7% |
| Dundy County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.5% |
| Fillmore County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.5% |
| Franklin County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.5% |
| Frontier County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.5% |
| Furnas County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.5% |
| Gage County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.2% |
| Garden County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 20.7% |
| Garfield County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.0% |
| Gosper County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 12.7% |
| Grant County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.9% |
| Greeley County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.4% |
| Hall County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.3% |
| Hamilton County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.3% |
| Harlan County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.1% |
| Hayes County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.4% |
| Hitchcock County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 19.7% |
| Holt County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.7% |
| Hooker County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 22.5% |
| Howard County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.8% |
| Jefferson County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.9% |
| Johnson County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.1% |
| Kearney County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.1% |
| Keith County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.4% |
| Keya Paha County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.2% |
| Kimball County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.3% |
| Knox County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.9% |
| Lancaster County | $12,675 | $11,759 | $10,660 | 18.0% |
| Lincoln County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.5% |
| Logan County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.1% |
| Loup County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 19.5% |
| Madison County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.9% |
| McPherson County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.7% |
| Merrick County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.8% |
| Morrill County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.0% |
| Nance County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.2% |
| Nemaha County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.0% |
| Nuckolls County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.8% |
| Otoe County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.3% |
| Pawnee County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 17.4% |
| Perkins County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.8% |
| Phelps County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.0% |
| Pierce County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.8% |
| Platte County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.9% |
| Polk County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 14.4% |
| Red Willow County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.7% |
| Richardson County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 19.3% |
| Rock County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.9% |
| Saline County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.7% |
| Sarpy County | $12,675 | $11,759 | $10,660 | 13.2% |
| Saunders County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 11.5% |
| Scotts Bluff County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.2% |
| Seward County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 12.2% |
| Sheridan County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 18.2% |
| Sherman County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.2% |
| Sioux County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 19.2% |
| Stanton County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 12.8% |
| Thayer County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.1% |
| Thomas County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.9% |
| Thurston County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.3% |
| Valley County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.6% |
| Washington County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 10.9% |
| Wayne County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.0% |
| Webster County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 15.6% |
| Wheeler County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 16.5% |
| York County | $9,737 | $9,230 | $8,450 | 13.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Nebraska rank on childcare costs nationally?
Nebraska's average center-based infant care ($9,863/yr) is cheaper than 62% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #17 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Nebraska than the national average?
Nebraska's average infant care price runs 3% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a PAR band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Nebraska?
Yes - Nebraska's 93 reporting counties range from $9,737 to $12,675/yr for infant care, a $2,938 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Nebraska?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Nebraska - infant care runs only 15% 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.