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The Department of Labor’s National Database of Childcare Prices brings together state market-rate survey data. This table presents its historical state median estimates for full-time infant and preschool care, by care setting, per child per week.
Parents can use this table for historical comparisons between states and care settings. Prospective daycare owners can use it as background for market research, then collect current local tuition and expense figures for their business plan. Each state links to our guide to opening a daycare there.
Childcare prices in all 50 states and D.C.
The rankings below compare center-based infant care using each row’s stated observation year. They do not compare current prices or household affordability.
The five most expensive: District of Columbia ($490.00/week), Massachusetts ($461.55/week), Minnesota ($390.00/week), California ($379.21/week), Colorado ($377.40/week). The five least expensive: Mississippi ($118.68/week), Alabama ($136.01/week), Arkansas ($147.50/week), South Dakota ($150.00/week), Kentucky ($151.30/week).
| State | Data year | Center infant, per week | Center infant, per year* | Home-based infant, per week | Center preschool, per week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2022 | $136.01 | $7,073 | $135.57 | $125.60 |
| Alaska | 2022 | $361.90 | $18,819 | $259.61 | $289.75 |
| Arizona | 2022 | $270.00 | $14,040 | $180.00 | $210.00 |
| Arkansas | 2021 | $147.50 | $7,670 | $115.00 | $127.50 |
| California | 2022 | $379.21 | $19,719 | $284.37 | $224.99 |
| Colorado | 2022 | $377.40 | $19,625 | $246.35 | $276.35 |
| Connecticut | 2022 | $350.00 | $18,200 | $250.00 | $285.00 |
| Delaware | 2022 | $280.28 | $14,575 | $181.67 | $210.26 |
| District of Columbia | 2022 | $490.00 | $25,480 | $400.00 | $392.50 |
| Florida | 2022 | $225.00 | $11,700 | $175.00 | $165.00 |
| Georgia | 2022 | $205.00 | $10,660 | $163.00 | $179.00 |
| Hawaii | 2022 | $365.77 | $19,020 | $207.69 | $263.08 |
| Idaho | 2022 | $166.41 | $8,653 | $130.00 | $140.26 |
| Illinois | 2022 | $278.33 | $14,473 | $207.77 | $189.17 |
| Indiana | — | Not available — the state’s market rate survey data could not be obtained for the federal database | |||
| Iowa | 2022 | $165.98 | $8,631 | $111.90 | $143.02 |
| Kansas | 2022 | $157.33 | $8,181 | $120.27 | $137.60 |
| Kentucky | 2022 | $151.30 | $7,868 | $117.73 | $134.40 |
| Louisiana | 2022 | $153.33 | $7,973 | $136.67 | $140.89 |
| Maine | 2022 | $230.00 | $11,960 | $181.67 | $194.00 |
| Maryland | 2022 | $327.39 | $17,024 | $239.21 | $230.78 |
| Massachusetts | 2022 | $461.55 | $24,001 | $250.00 | $310.00 |
| Michigan | 2022 | $173.20 | $9,006 | $182.40 | $155.65 |
| Minnesota | 2022 | $390.00 | $20,280 | $205.00 | $309.00 |
| Mississippi | 2022 | $118.68 | $6,171 | — | $108.02 |
| Missouri | 2020 | $214.94 | $11,177 | $155.66 | $168.58 |
| Montana | 2022 | $220.81 | $11,482 | $177.94 | $197.31 |
| Nebraska | 2022 | $243.75 | $12,675 | $150.00 | $205.00 |
| Nevada | 2022 | $275.63 | $14,333 | $193.88 | $229.27 |
| New Hampshire | 2022 | $300.05 | $15,603 | $206.43 | $249.47 |
| New Jersey | 2022 | $313.73 | $16,314 | $194.38 | $302.99 |
| New Mexico | — | Not available — the state’s market rate survey data could not be obtained for the federal database | |||
| New York | 2022 | $300.00 | $15,600 | $250.00 | $259.00 |
| North Carolina | 2022 | $202.52 | $10,531 | $173.99 | $133.82 |
| North Dakota | 2022 | $213.81 | $11,118 | $157.32 | $181.00 |
| Ohio | 2022 | $295.00 | $15,340 | $200.00 | $232.00 |
| Oklahoma | 2022 | $215.46 | $11,204 | $156.33 | $186.45 |
| Oregon | 2022 | $329.44 | $17,131 | $229.63 | $237.04 |
| Pennsylvania | 2020 | $217.90 | $11,331 | $165.00 | $192.50 |
| Rhode Island | 2022 | $289.59 | $15,059 | $254.49 | $245.26 |
| South Carolina | 2022 | $198.93 | $10,344 | $137.53 | $181.12 |
| South Dakota | 2022 | $150.00 | $7,800 | $102.40 | $136.40 |
| Tennessee | 2022 | $211.67 | $11,007 | $155.00 | $146.35 |
| Texas | 2022 | $185.00 | $9,620 | $164.00 | $167.00 |
| Utah | 2022 | $226.27 | $11,766 | $168.18 | $168.06 |
| Vermont | 2021 | $313.12 | $16,282 | $204.20 | $305.30 |
| Virginia | 2022 | $246.72 | $12,829 | $178.24 | $186.75 |
| Washington | 2022 | $357.31 | $18,580 | $253.85 | $249.06 |
| West Virginia | 2022 | $167.49 | $8,709 | $153.93 | $164.85 |
| Wisconsin | 2022 | $293.00 | $15,236 | $220.00 | $258.75 |
| Wyoming | 2022 | $161.17 | $8,381 | $148.87 | $155.62 |
*Per-year is our arithmetic: the federal weekly figure multiplied by 52. Prices are in nominal
dollars for the data year shown. — means the federal database has no usable figure.
What this data is — and its limits
- Source: the DOL Women’s Bureau’s National Database of Childcare
Prices, which standardizes roughly 200 state market rate surveys into one dataset covering
2008–2022, at the county and state level. - What a price means: DOL estimates a state median from county-level full-time weekly price data for each care setting and age group. This is an approximate statewide measure; it does not capture the variation between local markets or every provider’s price.
- Data years differ: most rows use 2022 observations; Arkansas and Vermont use 2021, and Missouri and Pennsylvania use 2020. These nominal-dollar figures have not been adjusted for inflation and are not current quotes.
- Missing observations: Indiana and New Mexico have no usable prices in this state-level workbook. A dash marks a missing figure; it is not a zero price.
- Prices are not operating costs: the table does not estimate staffing, rent, insurance, subsidies, or profitability. Use current local prices and your own expenses when preparing a business plan.
Starting a daycare? The other side of this table
For the steps to open a program, see our state-by-state daycare licensing guides. Combine this historical price reference with our childcare business-density comparison and current local research. Staffing rules affect operating costs; our New Hampshire staffing-ratio and waiver article explains one state example.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most expensive childcare?
In the federal National Database of Childcare Prices, the District of Columbia has the highest median price for full-time center-based infant care at $490 per week (2022 data) — about $25,480 per year. Massachusetts is the most expensive state at $461.55 per week, followed by Minnesota, California, and Colorado.
Which state has the cheapest childcare?
Mississippi, at a median of $118.68 per week for full-time center-based infant care (2022 data) — about $6,171 per year. Alabama, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Kentucky round out the least expensive five.
What do these childcare prices actually measure?
They are DOL estimates of state median full-time weekly prices per child for the specified age group and care setting, built from county-level data. Local prices can differ substantially. Annual amounts on this page are the weekly figures multiplied by 52 and rounded, rather than observed annual bills.
How current is this childcare price data?
This table uses historical observations from DOL’s 2008–2022 state-level workbook. Most rows use 2022; Arkansas and Vermont use 2021, and Missouri and Pennsylvania use 2020. Indiana and New Mexico have no usable figures. We checked the displayed prices against the official workbook on September 11, 2026; that verification date does not make the prices current.
Verification: all 146 available weekly price figures displayed here matched the official DOL state-level workbook on September 11, 2026. We also checked all 49 annual calculations. State comparisons mix observation years and do not measure affordability relative to family income.
Sources
- DOL Women’s Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates
and Affordability Rankings 2022 (XLSX) —
data file - DOL Women’s Bureau — NDCP Technical Report, September 2024 (the definition of prices
as median full-time weekly prices; methodology and imputation) —
PDF - DOL Women’s Bureau — NDCP program page —
dol.gov - ICPSR / Child & Family Data Archive — NDCP 2008–2022 archive documentation
(coverage and data-gap notes) —
archive record