Across the U.S., the median state estimate for full-time infant care at a center works out to about $1,061 per month, but the spread between states is enormous — from about $405 in Mississippi to $1,933 in Massachusetts. Home-based family child care generally runs lower than centers, and prices fall as children get older.
Figures are median annual market-rate prices from each state's childcare Market Rate Survey (2016–2018 collection), expressed in 2023 dollars using the childcare CPI, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices. DOL labels state averages experimental. And remember these are medians across every licensed program: half of programs charge more, and well-regarded metro centers commonly run 50–100% above the median — a Dallas-area center can easily charge $1,500+/month for a toddler against a Texas median near $800. Treat every number here as a starting point, not a quote — always check current prices with the daycare itself.
Estimated monthly price by state
Median price for one child, full time (school-age reflects part-day, school-year care). Sort: ·
| State | Infant (center) / mo | Toddler (center) / mo | Preschool (center) / mo | Infant (home-based) / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $660 | $660 | $599 | $528 |
| Alaska | $1,386 | $1,256 | $1,039 | $898 |
| Arizona | $1,073 | $957 | $827 | $551 |
| Arkansas | $622 | $597 | $540 | $512 |
| California | $1,670 | $1,185 | $1,185 | $1,125 |
| Colorado | — | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | $1,598 | $1,598 | $1,289 | $1,097 |
| Delaware | $1,134 | $1,035 | $900 | $778 |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | $904 | $765 | $664 | $748 |
| Georgia | $771 | $723 | $696 | $639 |
| Hawaii | $1,766 | $1,766 | $1,154 | $861 |
| Idaho | $724 | $675 | $615 | $612 |
| Illinois | $1,303 | $1,097 | $971 | $838 |
| Indiana | — | — | — | — |
| Iowa | $915 | $915 | $781 | $598 |
| Kansas | $724 | $708 | $582 | $559 |
| Kentucky | $695 | $630 | $630 | $572 |
| Louisiana | $657 | $643 | $608 | $504 |
| Maine | $1,061 | $959 | $886 | $799 |
| Maryland | $1,394 | $977 | $977 | $1,006 |
| Massachusetts | $1,933 | $1,760 | $1,381 | $1,294 |
| Michigan | $995 | $995 | $871 | $678 |
| Minnesota | $1,480 | $1,284 | $1,170 | $834 |
| Mississippi | $405 | $384 | $384 | $353 |
| Missouri | $1,142 | $885 | $885 | $682 |
| Montana | $869 | $761 | $761 | $666 |
| Nebraska | $993 | $913 | $866 | $698 |
| Nevada | $1,229 | $1,224 | $1,042 | $945 |
| New Hampshire | $1,190 | $1,100 | $983 | $875 |
| New Jersey | $1,247 | $1,120 | $991 | $871 |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | — |
| New York | $1,705 | $1,456 | $1,345 | $1,064 |
| North Carolina | $1,006 | $867 | $692 | $793 |
| North Dakota | $925 | $884 | $790 | $664 |
| Ohio | $1,124 | $994 | $881 | $805 |
| Oklahoma | $869 | $731 | $731 | $654 |
| Oregon | $1,183 | $1,150 | $1,150 | $696 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,099 | $997 | $924 | $841 |
| Rhode Island | $1,242 | $1,186 | $1,064 | $912 |
| South Carolina | $761 | $761 | $685 | $593 |
| South Dakota | $629 | $629 | $576 | $474 |
| Tennessee | $858 | $698 | $698 | $634 |
| Texas | $840 | $765 | $712 | $732 |
| Utah | $926 | $793 | $723 | $749 |
| Vermont | $1,188 | $1,140 | $1,111 | $912 |
| Virginia | $1,267 | $1,017 | $1,017 | $887 |
| Washington | $1,464 | $1,267 | $1,128 | $1,133 |
| West Virginia | $747 | $697 | $647 | $622 |
| Wisconsin | $1,231 | $1,099 | $1,099 | $940 |
| Wyoming | $764 | $691 | $630 | $737 |
"—" means the state did not report that figure in the federal dataset. Click a state for its full breakdown by age group and care setting.
About these estimates
- Source: NDCP state-level estimates, Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor. Public federal data; retrieved 2026-08-08.
- What the numbers are: median yearly market-rate prices for one child, from state Market Rate Surveys (2016–2018 cycle), converted to 2023 dollars with the CPI for day care and preschool, shown here divided by 12.
- What they are not: current quotes. These are medians across every licensed program — subsidized, faith-based, and premium centers alike — so half of programs charge more, popular metro centers often far more, and prices have continued to rise since the collection period.
- Missing data is shown as "—", never estimated by us.
Looking for a specific price? Use our cost estimator, then confirm with the program — or browse daycares by state and city to compare facilities on safety records, which is what this site is really for. Supply and safety context per state lives in the Childcare Safety & Supply Index.