Childcare cost calculator
Pick your state, the type of care and your kids’ ages. You’ll get a typical monthly and yearly cost and, if you add your income, the share of it that childcare takes.
Data: statewide median prices for full-time care from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Database of Childcare Prices (latest year 2022), adjusted to September 2026 prices with the BLS price index for day care and preschool. Checked Oct 27, 2026. These are estimates, not quotes.
How to read the result
- It’s a statewide median, the middle of the range for the whole state, so many families pay more. The Department of Labor notes that state figures tend to understate prices in urban areas. In California, for example, the statewide center infant median works out to about $2,030 a month in September 2026 prices; a city quote can be well above that.
- The data is from 2022. That’s the latest year in the federal database. We scale it with the BLS consumer price index for day care and preschool, which rose 23% from the 2022 average to September 2026. Your provider may have raised prices more or less than that.
- Prices are for full-time care. Under 40 hours a week, we scale the price down by hours. Part-time care often costs more per hour than full-time, so a part-time estimate is likely low.
- No sibling discounts. Many providers offer one. The calculator adds each child at the full price.
- School-age prices vary the most. States survey them differently (some only before and after school), so treat that number as rough.
- Missing states. The database has no recent prices for Indiana or New Mexico, and only 2020 or 2021 data for a few states (shown in the table). Enter a real quote for those.
Putting childcare in your budget
A few things make a childcare bill easier to plan for:
- Budget the annual total, not just the monthly bill. Ask each provider about registration fees, deposits, and whether you pay for holidays and closure weeks. For school-age kids, add summer care separately.
- Check the tax breaks. The IRS lets you leave employer dependent care benefits, such as a dependent care FSA, out of your taxable income, and the child and dependent care credit covers a percentage of work-related care costs. Dollar limits apply and can change; see IRS Topic 602.
- Pick a budgeting method that handles big, lumpy costs. Zero-based and envelope apps make you set money aside before the bill arrives. See budgeting apps for families with young kids or, if two of you share the bills, apps for couples.
Childcare cost by state
Typical monthly cost of full-time care at a center, statewide median, in September 2026 prices (rounded to the nearest $10). Source: DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 unless noted.
| State | Infant | Toddler | Preschool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $730 | $720 | $670 |
| Alaska | $1,930 | $1,800 | $1,550 |
| Arizona | $1,440 | $1,120 | $1,120 |
| Arkansas (2021 data) | $820 | $790 | $710 |
| California | $2,030 | $1,260 | $1,200 |
| Colorado | $2,020 | $1,740 | $1,480 |
| Connecticut | $1,870 | $1,870 | $1,520 |
| Delaware | $1,500 | $1,060 | $1,120 |
| District of Columbia | $2,620 | $2,410 | $2,100 |
| Florida | $1,200 | $960 | $880 |
| Georgia | $1,100 | $1,000 | $960 |
| Hawaii | $1,950 | $1,410 | $1,410 |
| Idaho | $890 | $830 | $750 |
| Illinois | $1,490 | $1,180 | $1,010 |
| Iowa | $890 | $760 | $760 |
| Kansas | $840 | $790 | $740 |
| Kentucky | $810 | $720 | $720 |
| Louisiana | $820 | $790 | $750 |
| Maine | $1,230 | $1,140 | $1,040 |
| Maryland | $1,750 | $1,230 | $1,230 |
| Massachusetts | $2,470 | $2,180 | $1,660 |
| Michigan | $930 | $930 | $830 |
| Minnesota | $2,080 | $1,860 | $1,650 |
| Mississippi | $630 | $580 | $580 |
| Missouri (2020 data) | $1,220 | $950 | $950 |
| Montana | $1,180 | $1,230 | $1,050 |
| Nebraska | $1,300 | $1,210 | $1,100 |
| Nevada | $1,470 | $1,290 | $1,230 |
| New Hampshire | $1,600 | $1,520 | $1,330 |
| New Jersey | $1,680 | $1,620 | $1,620 |
| New York | $1,600 | $1,480 | $1,380 |
| North Carolina | $1,080 | $900 | $720 |
| North Dakota | $1,140 | $1,040 | $970 |
| Ohio | $1,580 | $1,420 | $1,240 |
| Oklahoma | $1,150 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Oregon | $1,760 | $1,620 | $1,270 |
| Pennsylvania (2020 data) | $1,230 | $1,160 | $1,090 |
| Puerto Rico (2021 data) | $480 | $480 | $460 |
| Rhode Island | $1,550 | $1,490 | $1,310 |
| South Carolina | $1,060 | $990 | $970 |
| South Dakota | $800 | $800 | $730 |
| Tennessee | $1,130 | $780 | $780 |
| Texas | $990 | $920 | $890 |
| Utah | $1,210 | $980 | $900 |
| Vermont (2021 data) | $1,740 | $1,640 | $1,700 |
| Virginia | $1,320 | $1,040 | $1,000 |
| Washington | $1,910 | $1,330 | $1,330 |
| West Virginia | $900 | $850 | $880 |
| Wisconsin | $1,570 | $1,380 | $1,380 |
| Wyoming | $860 | $830 | $830 |
Questions
How much does childcare cost per month?
It depends heavily on the state, the child’s age and the type of care. In the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Database of Childcare Prices, the 2022 statewide median for full-time infant care at a center ranged from about $119 a week in Mississippi to $490 a week in the District of Columbia, among places with 2022 data. Pick your state in the calculator above to see the median, adjusted to September 2026 prices.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices are statewide medians for full-time care from the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP), which compiles state market rate surveys. The latest year is 2022. We adjust them to current prices with the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for day care and preschool.
How much of your income should childcare be?
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set 7% of family income as its benchmark for affordable childcare co-payments in the federal subsidy program (CCDF). The 2024 rule capped subsidy co-payments at 7%; a 2026 rule removed that federal cap as of July 13, 2026, leaving it to states. 7% is still a useful yardstick, not a rule for private-pay families.
Why is my local daycare more expensive than the calculator says?
The calculator uses statewide medians, the middle of each state’s range, so many families pay more. The Department of Labor itself warns that state medians hide big local differences. If you have a real quote, enter it in the calculator to see the monthly cost and share of income.
Is a family child care home cheaper than a daycare center?
Usually, in this data. Licensed family child care homes (care in the provider’s home) had a lower statewide median than centers for infants in 48 of the 49 states and territories with both prices, and for toddlers and preschoolers in 46 of 49. Check both options near you.
Sources and method
- Prices: U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices, State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 (released Nov 2024). Median weekly price of full-time care by state, provider type and age group. We use the most recent year from 2020 to 2022 with data. We downloaded the file from the Virginia Open Data Portal copy of the DOL release on Oct 27, 2026.
- Inflation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U, day care and preschool, U.S. city average (series CUUR0000SEEB03). 2022 annual average 330.305; September 2026 407.335. Pulled Oct 27, 2026.
- Monthly = weekly × 52 ÷ 12. Annual = weekly × 52. Under 40 hours a week, the price is scaled by hours ÷ 40.
- 7% benchmark: HHS, 2024 CCDF final rule, which describes the 2016 benchmark; the 2026 CCDF final rule removed the federal 7% co-payment cap effective July 13, 2026.
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