Avg Infant (Center)
$6,595 /yr
Across 66 South Dakota counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in South Dakota
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), South Dakota ranks #4 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $6,595
- Avg infant (center)
- -31%
- Vs. national avg
- #4 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
South Dakota statewide sticker posture
- PRICE QUIET vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $6,595 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $3,037 County min–max gap
- RANK #4 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 66 Reporting counties
- MIN $6,240 Cheapest county
- MAX $9,277 Priciest county
- PHOTO Georgia Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$6,595 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$6,212 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$6,240 – $9,277
Lowest to highest county
South Dakota center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where South Dakota ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$6,595 Among the most affordable more affordable than 91% 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 · 2026-07-05
South Dakota infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 41.2%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows South 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 South Dakota, starting at $6,240/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in South Dakota, up to $9,277/yr
Childcare Landscape Across South Dakota
Across South Dakota's 66 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $6,595/year (QUIET vs the national mean), toddler $6,595/year, preschool $6,212/year. South Dakota's age-tier pricing doesn't follow the smooth step-down most states show between infant, toddler, and preschool care. County stickers run $6,240 to $9,277 (Δ $3,037/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.7% |
| Beadle County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.8% |
| Bennett County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 13.9% |
| Bon Homme County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.8% |
| Brookings County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 12.1% |
| Brown County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 11.1% |
| Brule County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.6% |
| Buffalo County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 14.5% |
| Butte County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.7% |
| Campbell County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.3% |
| Charles Mix County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.3% |
| Clark County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.5% |
| Clay County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 13.9% |
| Codington County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 11.9% |
| Corson County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 13.0% |
| Custer County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.2% |
| Davison County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 14.0% |
| Day County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.8% |
| Deuel County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.1% |
| Dewey County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 11.3% |
| Douglas County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.3% |
| Edmunds County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.1% |
| Fall River County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 11.4% |
| Faulk County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 11.0% |
| Grant County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.8% |
| Gregory County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 12.9% |
| Haakon County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 11.7% |
| Hamlin County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.1% |
| Hand County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.6% |
| Hanson County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 7.2% |
| Harding County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.7% |
| Hughes County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 9.3% |
| Hutchinson County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.0% |
| Hyde County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.0% |
| Jackson County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 23.9% |
| Jerauld County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.4% |
| Jones County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.2% |
| Kingsbury County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.5% |
| Lake County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 10.4% |
| Lawrence County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 12.4% |
| Lincoln County | $9,277 | $9,277 | $8,694 | 10.0% |
| Lyman County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.4% |
| Marshall County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.4% |
| McCook County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.3% |
| McPherson County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.7% |
| Meade County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.9% |
| Mellette County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 15.1% |
| Miner County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.1% |
| Minnehaha County | $9,277 | $9,277 | $8,694 | 12.7% |
| Moody County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.7% |
| Oglala Lakota County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 19.3% |
| Pennington County | $8,008 | $8,008 | $7,550 | 11.8% |
| Perkins County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.7% |
| Potter County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.7% |
| Roberts County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.6% |
| Sanborn County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.5% |
| Spink County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.5% |
| Stanley County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 7.6% |
| Sully County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 9.3% |
| Todd County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 18.5% |
| Tripp County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 11.0% |
| Turner County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 8.6% |
| Union County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 9.5% |
| Walworth County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 10.8% |
| Yankton County | $7,800 | $7,800 | $7,093 | 11.3% |
| Ziebach County | $6,240 | $6,240 | $5,928 | 13.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does South Dakota rank on childcare costs nationally?
South Dakota's average center-based infant care ($6,595/yr) is cheaper than 91% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #4 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in South Dakota than the national average?
South Dakota's average infant care price runs 31% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a QUIET band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within South Dakota?
Yes - South Dakota's 66 reporting counties range from $6,240 to $9,277/yr for infant care, a $3,037 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in South Dakota?
South Dakota'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 July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.