Avg Infant (Center)
$10,925 /yr
Across 53 North Dakota counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in North Dakota
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), North Dakota ranks #22 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,925
- Avg infant (center)
- +14%
- Vs. national avg
- #22 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
North Dakota statewide sticker posture
- PRICE HIGH vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $10,925 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $2,339 County min–max gap
- RANK #22 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 53 Reporting counties
- MIN $10,145 Cheapest county
- MAX $12,484 Priciest county
- PHOTO Delaware Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$9,978 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$9,249 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$10,145 – $12,484
Lowest to highest county
North Dakota center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where North Dakota ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$10,925 more affordable than 51% 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
North Dakota infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 68.3%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows North Dakota 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 North Dakota, starting at $10,145/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in North Dakota, up to $12,484/yr
Childcare Landscape Across North Dakota
Across North Dakota's 53 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $10,925/year (HIGH vs the national mean), toddler $9,978/year, preschool $9,249/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 $10,145 to $12,484 (Δ $2,339/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 | $10,285 | $9,394 | $8,707 | 17.7% |
| Barnes County | $10,843 | $9,898 | $9,179 | 16.8% |
| Benson County | $10,337 | $9,446 | $8,751 | 16.4% |
| Billings County | $10,556 | $9,626 | $8,936 | 14.3% |
| Bottineau County | $11,357 | $10,372 | $9,615 | 14.2% |
| Bowman County | $11,425 | $10,438 | $9,672 | 14.3% |
| Burke County | $11,249 | $10,273 | $9,523 | 11.9% |
| Burleigh County | $11,468 | $10,459 | $9,709 | 14.0% |
| Cass County | $11,118 | $10,139 | $9,412 | 15.2% |
| Cavalier County | $10,771 | $9,843 | $9,118 | 17.6% |
| Dickey County | $10,558 | $9,640 | $8,938 | 17.5% |
| Divide County | $12,484 | $11,402 | $10,569 | 13.0% |
| Dunn County | $11,967 | $10,921 | $10,131 | 13.0% |
| Eddy County | $10,145 | $9,267 | $8,588 | 20.1% |
| Emmons County | $10,370 | $9,476 | $8,779 | 16.3% |
| Foster County | $10,879 | $9,941 | $9,210 | 13.9% |
| Golden Valley County | $11,285 | $10,308 | $9,553 | 13.3% |
| Grand Forks County | $11,029 | $10,059 | $9,338 | 17.0% |
| Grant County | $10,393 | $9,498 | $8,798 | 18.2% |
| Griggs County | $10,417 | $9,519 | $8,819 | 15.6% |
| Hettinger County | $11,163 | $10,201 | $9,450 | 16.7% |
| Kidder County | $10,310 | $9,421 | $8,728 | 18.0% |
| LaMoure County | $10,308 | $9,416 | $8,727 | 14.7% |
| Logan County | $11,027 | $10,074 | $9,335 | 18.5% |
| McHenry County | $11,063 | $10,113 | $9,365 | 14.2% |
| McIntosh County | $10,369 | $9,474 | $8,778 | 16.1% |
| McKenzie County | $12,464 | $11,368 | $10,552 | 14.9% |
| McLean County | $11,184 | $10,219 | $9,468 | 13.9% |
| Mercer County | $11,630 | $10,623 | $9,846 | 14.2% |
| Morton County | $11,604 | $10,588 | $9,824 | 14.6% |
| Mountrail County | $11,238 | $10,262 | $9,514 | 13.7% |
| Nelson County | $10,350 | $9,458 | $8,762 | 16.6% |
| Oliver County | $10,369 | $9,473 | $8,778 | 14.9% |
| Pembina County | $10,600 | $9,684 | $8,974 | 16.5% |
| Pierce County | $10,892 | $9,948 | $9,221 | 18.3% |
| Ramsey County | $10,449 | $9,545 | $8,846 | 17.0% |
| Ransom County | $11,528 | $10,537 | $9,759 | 16.1% |
| Renville County | $11,407 | $10,420 | $9,656 | 14.8% |
| Richland County | $10,813 | $9,879 | $9,154 | 16.1% |
| Rolette County | $10,244 | $9,360 | $8,673 | 19.0% |
| Sargent County | $11,471 | $10,483 | $9,711 | 15.2% |
| Sheridan County | $10,432 | $9,533 | $8,831 | 15.2% |
| Sioux County | $10,215 | $9,334 | $8,648 | 24.8% |
| Slope County | $10,635 | $9,707 | $9,003 | 15.1% |
| Stark County | $11,415 | $10,411 | $9,664 | 14.5% |
| Steele County | $10,556 | $9,642 | $8,936 | 12.3% |
| Stutsman County | $10,727 | $9,794 | $9,081 | 18.1% |
| Towner County | $10,443 | $9,543 | $8,841 | 17.0% |
| Traill County | $10,889 | $9,947 | $9,219 | 13.4% |
| Walsh County | $10,576 | $9,661 | $8,954 | 15.5% |
| Ward County | $11,444 | $10,432 | $9,688 | 14.6% |
| Wells County | $10,338 | $9,445 | $8,752 | 17.3% |
| Williams County | $11,977 | $10,928 | $10,140 | 13.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does North Dakota rank on childcare costs nationally?
North Dakota's average center-based infant care ($10,925/yr) is cheaper than 51% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #22 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in North Dakota than the national average?
North Dakota's average infant care price runs 14% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a HIGH band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within North Dakota?
Yes - North Dakota's 53 reporting counties range from $10,145 to $12,484/yr for infant care, a $2,339 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in North Dakota?
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.