Avg Infant (Center)
$11,256 /yr
Across 72 Wisconsin counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Wisconsin
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Wisconsin ranks #24 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $11,256
- Avg infant (center)
- +17%
- Vs. national avg
- #24 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Wisconsin statewide sticker posture
- PRICE HIGH vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $11,256 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $5,772 County min–max gap
- RANK #24 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 72 Reporting counties
- MIN $9,464 Cheapest county
- MAX $15,236 Priciest county
- PHOTO Arizona Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$10,203 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$10,203 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$9,464 – $15,236
Lowest to highest county
Wisconsin center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Wisconsin ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$11,256 more affordable than 47% 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
Wisconsin infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 70.3%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, starting at $9,464/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Wisconsin, up to $15,236/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Wisconsin
Across Wisconsin's 72 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $11,256/year (HIGH vs the national mean), toddler $10,203/year, preschool $10,203/year. Unusually, Wisconsin's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age. County stickers run $9,464 to $15,236 (Δ $5,772/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 | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 17.1% |
| Ashland County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 19.2% |
| Barron County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 18.4% |
| Bayfield County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.1% |
| Brown County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 20.6% |
| Buffalo County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.7% |
| Burnett County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.7% |
| Calumet County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 14.6% |
| Chippewa County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 15.6% |
| Clark County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.0% |
| Columbia County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 13.8% |
| Crawford County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 18.0% |
| Dane County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 18.1% |
| Dodge County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 15.2% |
| Door County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 16.0% |
| Douglas County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 19.0% |
| Dunn County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 15.7% |
| Eau Claire County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 21.7% |
| Florence County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 16.3% |
| Fond du Lac County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 17.4% |
| Forest County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 17.0% |
| Grant County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 17.2% |
| Green County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 14.4% |
| Green Lake County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 16.4% |
| Iowa County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 11.9% |
| Iron County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 19.6% |
| Jackson County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 16.9% |
| Jefferson County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 15.9% |
| Juneau County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.9% |
| Kenosha County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 19.9% |
| Kewaunee County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 12.2% |
| La Crosse County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 22.2% |
| Lafayette County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 13.7% |
| Langlade County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 19.8% |
| Lincoln County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 17.0% |
| Manitowoc County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 18.5% |
| Marathon County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 16.8% |
| Marinette County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 18.1% |
| Marquette County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.8% |
| Menominee County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.2% |
| Milwaukee County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 25.7% |
| Monroe County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 16.4% |
| Oconto County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 12.9% |
| Oneida County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 16.5% |
| Outagamie County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 15.6% |
| Ozaukee County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 13.3% |
| Pepin County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 13.4% |
| Pierce County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 13.2% |
| Polk County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 12.8% |
| Portage County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 17.2% |
| Price County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 17.0% |
| Racine County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 21.0% |
| Richland County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 17.6% |
| Rock County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 21.6% |
| Rusk County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 16.5% |
| Sauk County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 16.8% |
| Sawyer County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 16.5% |
| Shawano County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.5% |
| Sheboygan County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 17.8% |
| St. Croix County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 11.1% |
| Taylor County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.4% |
| Trempealeau County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 13.8% |
| Vernon County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.5% |
| Vilas County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 14.9% |
| Walworth County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 16.3% |
| Washburn County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 16.2% |
| Washington County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 13.4% |
| Waukesha County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 15.0% |
| Waupaca County | $10,920 | $9,880 | $9,880 | 15.8% |
| Waushara County | $9,464 | $8,840 | $8,840 | 15.5% |
| Winnebago County | $15,236 | $13,455 | $13,455 | 21.8% |
| Wood County | $12,272 | $10,920 | $10,920 | 19.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Wisconsin rank on childcare costs nationally?
Wisconsin's average center-based infant care ($11,256/yr) is cheaper than only 47% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #24 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Wisconsin than the national average?
Wisconsin's average infant care price runs 17% above the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a HIGH band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Wisconsin?
Yes - Wisconsin's 72 reporting counties range from $9,464 to $15,236/yr for infant care, a $5,772 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Wisconsin?
Unusually, Wisconsin's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age.
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.