Avg Infant (Center)
$13,869 /yr
Across 62 New York counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in New York
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), New York ranks #34 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $13,869
- Avg infant (center)
- +45%
- Vs. national avg
- #34 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
New York statewide sticker posture
- PRICE STEEP vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $13,869 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $4,056 County min–max gap
- RANK #34 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 62 Reporting counties
- MIN $12,844 Cheapest county
- MAX $16,900 Priciest county
- PHOTO Maryland Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$12,979 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$11,679 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$12,844 – $16,900
Lowest to highest county
New York center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where New York ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$13,869 more affordable than 24% 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
New York infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 86.7%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows New York 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 New York, starting at $12,844/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in New York, up to $16,900/yr
Childcare Landscape Across New York
Across New York's 62 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $13,869/year (STEEP vs the national mean), toddler $12,979/year, preschool $11,679/year. Costs step down gradually with age here, tracking the typical national pattern where lower infant staffing ratios drive early-years pricing higher. County stickers run $12,844 to $16,900 (Δ $4,056/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County | $14,820 | $14,300 | $13,208 | 18.8% |
| Allegany County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 21.9% |
| Bronx County | $15,600 | $14,404 | $13,468 | 33.2% |
| Broome County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 22.0% |
| Cattaraugus County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 22.6% |
| Cayuga County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.3% |
| Chautauqua County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 23.5% |
| Chemung County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.9% |
| Chenango County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.8% |
| Clinton County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.1% |
| Columbia County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 18.4% |
| Cortland County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.8% |
| Delaware County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 22.0% |
| Dutchess County | $14,820 | $14,300 | $13,208 | 15.7% |
| Erie County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 22.1% |
| Essex County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.9% |
| Franklin County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 21.3% |
| Fulton County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 21.2% |
| Genesee County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.8% |
| Greene County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.3% |
| Hamilton County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.2% |
| Herkimer County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.9% |
| Jefferson County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.5% |
| Kings County | $15,600 | $14,404 | $13,468 | 20.9% |
| Lewis County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.9% |
| Livingston County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.2% |
| Madison County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.6% |
| Monroe County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 21.0% |
| Montgomery County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 22.1% |
| Nassau County | $16,900 | $15,600 | $15,236 | 12.3% |
| New York County | $15,600 | $14,404 | $13,468 | 15.6% |
| Niagara County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.5% |
| Oneida County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.3% |
| Onondaga County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 21.0% |
| Ontario County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 19.6% |
| Orange County | $14,820 | $14,300 | $13,208 | 16.1% |
| Orleans County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 21.0% |
| Oswego County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.7% |
| Otsego County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.5% |
| Putnam County | $16,900 | $15,600 | $15,236 | 14.0% |
| Queens County | $15,600 | $14,404 | $13,468 | 18.9% |
| Rensselaer County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 17.9% |
| Richmond County | $15,600 | $14,404 | $13,468 | 16.2% |
| Rockland County | $16,900 | $15,600 | $15,236 | 15.9% |
| Saratoga County | $14,820 | $14,300 | $13,208 | 15.3% |
| Schenectady County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 20.0% |
| Schoharie County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.0% |
| Schuyler County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.9% |
| Seneca County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.1% |
| St. Lawrence County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 22.0% |
| Steuben County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.5% |
| Suffolk County | $16,900 | $15,600 | $15,236 | 13.8% |
| Sullivan County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.9% |
| Tioga County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.2% |
| Tompkins County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 21.5% |
| Ulster County | $14,820 | $14,300 | $13,208 | 19.2% |
| Warren County | $15,028 | $14,300 | $13,260 | 20.2% |
| Washington County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.7% |
| Wayne County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 18.1% |
| Westchester County | $16,900 | $15,600 | $15,236 | 14.7% |
| Wyoming County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 19.7% |
| Yates County | $12,844 | $11,960 | $10,400 | 20.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does New York rank on childcare costs nationally?
New York's average center-based infant care ($13,869/yr) is cheaper than only 24% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #34 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in New York than the national average?
New York's average infant care price runs 45% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a STEEP band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within New York?
Yes - New York's 62 reporting counties range from $12,844 to $16,900/yr for infant care, a $4,056 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in New York?
Costs step down gradually with age here, tracking the typical national pattern where lower infant staffing ratios drive early-years pricing higher.
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.