DaycareLedger: US childcare & daycare cost data
US childcare and daycare cost data by state and county.
Across the United States, the median price of center-based infant care is about $7,987 a year ($154/week), and family (home-based) infant care about $6,240 (2018 medians). Infant care is the most expensive age group; costs fall as children move to toddler, preschool and school-age care. DaycareLedger publishes these median prices for 49 states and DC and the largest US counties, with each price shown as a share of local family income — the clearest measure of how affordable childcare really is.
Source: U.S. DOL Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices. Data as of June 2026.
What you can look up
Median daycare prices for 49 states & DC, by age and care type.
Cost by countyThe largest US counties, with local median prices.
RankingsMost & least expensive states, biggest income burden, center vs family gap.
Cost calculatorEstimate your annual cost and what share of your income it takes.
GuidesCenter vs family care, why infant care costs most, the 7% benchmark.
ArticlesAnswer-first explainers on how much childcare costs and where.
Featured states
Infant center care $15,058/yr · 20.6% of income
TexasInfant center care $6,942/yr · 11.4% of income
New YorkInfant center care $11,429/yr · 16.5% of income
FloridaInfant center care $8,000/yr · 15.2% of income
MassachusettsInfant center care $15,860/yr · 20.1% of income
OhioInfant center care $9,412/yr · 16.9% of income
Most expensive states for infant daycare
| # | State | Weekly (center, infant) | Annual | % of median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $346 | $18,000 | 22.9% |
| 2 | Alaska | $336 | $17,484 | 22.8% |
| 3 | Connecticut | $305 | $15,860 | 20.4% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $305 | $15,860 | 20.1% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $304 | $15,786 | 22.3% |
| 6 | California | $290 | $15,058 | 20.6% |
Source: U.S. DOL Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices. Data as of June 2026.
See the full most expensive states and cheapest states rankings, or the biggest childcare burden by income.
The affordability angle: childcare as a share of income
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services calls childcare "affordable" when it costs no more than 7% of household income. By that yardstick almost nowhere in America is affordable: median center-based infant care alone runs from roughly 8% of median household income in the cheapest states to well over 20% in the priciest. Every state page and the calculator show this share so you can judge affordability where you live.
From the blog
Hawaii, Alaska and the Northeast top the list for daycare cost. Median center-based infant care runs $15,000–$18,000 a year in the priciest states.
How much does infant care cost in the US?US median center-based infant care is about $7,987 a year; family (home-based) care about $6,240. Costs range from ~$3,500 in Mississippi to ~$18,000 in Hawaii.
Center-based vs in-home daycare: cost comparisonFamily (in-home) daycare is usually cheaper than a center. Nationally, in-home infant care runs about $6,240 a year vs $7,987 for a center — about $1,700 less.
Is childcare affordable where you live? (% of income)The federal benchmark says childcare should cost no more than 7% of income. In most US states, infant care alone takes far more — 8% to 23% of median household income.
Why does childcare cost so much?Childcare is expensive because it is labor-intensive and tightly regulated: staff wages dominate the budget, and low child-to-staff ratios mean few children per paid adult.
Daycare cost by age: infant to school-ageDaycare cost falls as children grow. US median center-based care drops from $7,987/yr for infants to $7,280 toddler, $6,500 preschool and $5,523 school-age.
Where the data comes from
All prices come from the U.S. DOL Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices, a public-domain federal dataset of median weekly childcare prices by county, age group and care setting. The newest reference year is 2018; some states' latest survey year is earlier and is labelled on each page. Income figures are American Community Survey medians (via the NDCP). We never inflate the federal numbers — see our methodology for every derivation. These are historical medians for general information; verify current local prices with providers.