# How Much Does Daycare Cost? Average Prices by State and Age

> What full-time child care costs in every state, for infants, toddlers and 4-year-olds, in centers and home daycares, from a named source with its year, and the programs and tax breaks that bring the bill down.

The average cost of daycare in the US was $13,184 a year in 2025, about $1,099 a month or $254 a week, according to [Child Care Aware of America’s latest report](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025), published in May 2026. Infant care costs the most: $15,636 a year in a center and $11,673 in a licensed family child care home, averaged across states. Care for a 4-year-old averaged $12,555 in a center. By state, a year of infant care in a center runs from $6,492 in Mississippi to $27,067 in Massachusetts.

By Summerground, updated October 13, 2026.

## At a glance

- The national average price of child care was $13,184 in 2025: about $1,099 a month or $254 a week (Child Care Aware of America).
- Infants cost the most: $15,636 a year in a center on average, against $12,555 for a 4-year-old.
- A licensed family child care home averaged $11,673 a year for an infant, about a quarter less than a center.
- Center care for an infant runs from $6,492 a year in Mississippi to $27,067 in Massachusetts.
- From 2026, a dependent care FSA can shelter $7,500, and the child care tax credit is worth up to 50% of $3,000 or $6,000 of costs.

## 9 ways to pay less for daycare

Start with what you may qualify for by income (subsidies, Head Start, free pre-K), then add the tax breaks most working parents can use. Each links to its official page; rules are as of October 2026.

### 1. Child care assistance (CCDF subsidies)

Every state

Every state uses federal Child Care and Development Fund money to help families pay for care while parents work, go to school or train. Federal rules let states help families earning up to 85% of the state median income, but many set the bar lower: in early 2025, Georgia’s limit for a family of three was 50% of its median and California’s was 85%. You choose a provider that takes the subsidy and pay a copay. Some states, such as Indiana, have waitlists. Apply through your state’s child care agency.

- Cost: A copay set by your state
- Ages: Under 13
- Up to 85% of state median income
- Child under 13
- Parents working, in school or training
- Apply through your state
- Website: https://childcare.gov/state-resources-home

### 2. Head Start and Early Head Start

Every state

Head Start (ages 3 to 5) and Early Head Start (pregnancy to age 3) are free for families who qualify. A child is eligible if the family’s income is at or below the federal poverty line, the family receives public assistance such as TANF, or the child is homeless or in foster care. Programs may also fill some places with families earning up to 130% of the poverty line, and a few with families above that. Find programs near you with the Head Start Center Locator and apply to the program directly.

- Cost: Free
- Ages: Pregnancy to age 5
- Free
- Income at or below the poverty line
- Public assistance, homeless or foster care
- Apply to the program directly
- Website: https://headstart.gov/center-locator

### 3. Free public pre-K and transitional kindergarten

Varies by state

Many states pay for pre-kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds at low or no cost, part-day or full-day, and nearly 1.8 million children attended state-funded preschool in 2024–25. Who gets a seat varies. Georgia runs a universal pre-K program for 4-year-olds, and California’s transitional kindergarten is free in public schools for every child who turns 4 by September 1. Elsewhere, seats may be limited or based on income. Ask your school district and your state’s early learning agency.

- Cost: Free or low cost
- Ages: 3 to 5
- Ages 3 to 5
- Often free
- Through schools and state agencies
- Rules and seats vary by state
- Website: https://nieer.org/yearbook/2025

### 4. Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Federal tax return

If you pay for care so you (and your spouse) can work or look for work, you can claim part of it on Form 2441: up to $3,000 of costs for one child under 13, or $6,000 for two or more. From the 2026 tax year, the credit is 50% of those costs at incomes up to $15,000, 35% from about $43,000 to $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return), and falls to 20% above about $103,000 ($206,000 joint). It lowers your tax but isn’t paid out as a refund. You’ll list your provider on the return.

- Cost: 20% to 50% of up to $3,000 (one child) or $6,000 of costs
- Ages: Under 13
- 50% at incomes up to $15,000
- 35% from about $43,000 to $75,000 single
- 20% above about $103,000 single
- Claim on Form 2441
- Website: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-and-dependent-care-credit-information

### 5. Dependent care FSA

Through your employer

A dependent care flexible spending account lets you pay for child care with money set aside from your paycheck before income and payroll taxes. Starting in 2026, the limit is $7,500 a household ($3,750 if married filing separately), up from $5,000; the 2025 tax law set it, and it isn’t indexed for inflation. Your employer’s plan decides what you can elect, so ask HR whether it raised its limit. FSA money can’t also count toward the tax credit: put the full $7,500 through an FSA and the credit’s $3,000 or $6,000 limit drops to zero.

- Cost: Up to $7,500 a year, before tax, from 2026
- $7,500 per household from 2026
- $3,750 if married filing separately
- Ask HR about your plan’s limit
- Lowers the tax credit’s expense limit
- Website: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/129

### 6. Employer and campus child care benefits

Varies by employer

Some employers run on-site child care or pay for discounts at partner centers, and some colleges offer campus child care with discounts for students and staff. Bright Horizons, for one, sells employers a benefit that gives their workers 20% off tuition at its centers plus priority enrollment, along with Back-Up Care that workers reserve when they need it. KinderCare says an employer may cover part or all of tuition. Ask HR what you have, and ask providers about sibling discounts and scholarships.

- Ask HR first
- On-site or partner centers
- Backup care
- Sibling discounts and scholarships
- Website: https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/get-help-paying-for-child-care/child-care-financial-assistance-options

### 7. Military child care fee assistance

Nationwide

Military-run child care programs charge on a sliding scale by family income; request a spot through MilitaryChildCare.com. If on-base care is out of reach because of distance or a waitlist, active-duty service members, including reservists on active orders, may qualify for fee assistance at a civilian provider through Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood, with programs for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Child Care Aware of America runs the Army and Navy programs.

- Cost: On base: a sliding fee by family income
- Apply at MilitaryChildCare.com
- Reservists on active orders qualify
- Civilian care if there’s no base spot
- Website: https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome/mccyn

### 8. Licensed family child care homes

Every state

A family child care home is care in the provider’s own home, licensed or registered by the state. It’s often the cheaper choice: across states, a year of infant care in a home averaged $11,673 in 2025, against $15,636 in a center, and $10,572 against $12,555 for a 4-year-old. Ask what happens on days the provider is sick or on vacation, and check the license before you sign up ([how to check a daycare’s license](https://summerground.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-daycare)).

- Cost: Infant: $11,673 a year on average (2025)
- About 25% less than a center for infants
- Licensed by the state
- Ask about closure days
- Website: https://info.childcareaware.org/child-care-affordability-analysis-2025

### 9. Parent co-op preschools

Some communities

In a cooperative preschool, parents help run the school and take turns in the classroom alongside a teacher, and that shared work typically keeps tuition lower than at similar preschools. Parent Cooperative Preschools International keeps a directory of member schools. Ask each co-op what it charges, how many hours a month it expects from parents, and whether it runs full days or only part of the day.

- Parents work in the classroom
- Directory at preschools.coop
- Ask about hours required
- Website: https://preschools.coop/member-directory

## Average daycare cost by state

Child Care Aware of America asks each state’s child care resource and referral agencies (or uses state market rate surveys) for the average yearly price of full-time licensed care. These are its 2025 prices, published in May 2026 in [Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025). Infant care in a center costs most in Massachusetts ($27,067), Hawaii ($25,096), Washington ($23,136) and California ($23,071), and least in Mississippi ($6,492) and in Alabama and South Dakota (both $8,859).

*Average yearly price of full-time child care by state, 2025 (Child Care Aware of America, published May 2026). Alabama, Florida, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming figures come from state market rate surveys. Colorado, New Mexico, South Carolina and DC don’t collect price data.*

| State | Infant, center | Toddler, center | 4-year-old, center | Infant, home daycare |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama | $8,859 | $8,646 | $8,219 | $7,872 |
| Alaska | $12,425 | $11,601 | $10,143 | $11,094 |
| Arizona | $16,384 | $13,742 | $11,987 | $9,339 |
| Arkansas | $9,727 | $8,933 | $8,530 | $8,704 |
| California | $23,071 | $14,378 | $13,689 | $17,301 |
| Colorado | No data | No data | No data | No data |
| Connecticut | $18,616 | $18,356 | $15,496 | $14,612 |
| Delaware | $17,252 | $15,194 | $13,584 | $11,387 |
| District of Columbia | No data | No data | No data | No data |
| Florida | $14,230 | $12,272 | $10,052 | $11,947 |
| Georgia | $11,066 | $10,537 | $9,574 | $8,407 |
| Hawaii | $25,096 | $19,832 | $14,868 | $12,181 |
| Idaho | $10,887 | $10,259 | $9,443 | $7,809 |
| Illinois | $19,601 | $18,771 | $14,739 | $11,717 |
| Indiana | $17,461 | $16,193 | $12,854 | $9,822 |
| Iowa | $13,253 | $13,208 | $10,438 | $8,959 |
| Kansas | $12,741 | $11,958 | $10,692 | $8,842 |
| Kentucky | $13,075 | $12,541 | $10,993 | $10,139 |
| Louisiana | $11,133 | $10,259 | $9,418 | No data |
| Maine | $16,144 | $15,210 | $14,516 | $12,141 |
| Maryland | $20,124 | $19,500 | $14,612 | $15,704 |
| Massachusetts | $27,067 | $24,468 | $21,364 | $15,708 |
| Michigan | $14,064 | $14,983 | $13,342 | $9,818 |
| Minnesota | $20,592 | $18,200 | $15,912 | $9,880 |
| Mississippi | $6,492 | $6,492 | $6,240 | $4,884 |
| Missouri | $15,080 | $12,688 | $11,440 | $10,556 |
| Montana | $15,476 | $15,476 | $14,676 | $12,007 |
| Nebraska | $15,080 | $13,520 | $12,480 | $9,750 |
| Nevada | $15,633 | $14,276 | $13,219 | $14,543 |
| New Hampshire | $16,462 | $15,262 | $13,385 | $12,017 |
| New Jersey | $17,977 | $16,748 | $14,551 | $14,612 |
| New Mexico | No data | No data | No data | No data |
| New York | $20,978 | $19,152 | $17,800 | $16,848 |
| North Carolina | $13,916 | $12,960 | $11,530 | $10,466 |
| North Dakota | $12,281 | $11,561 | $10,855 | $10,159 |
| Ohio | $13,936 | $12,532 | $10,552 | $10,712 |
| Oklahoma | $11,012 | $10,294 | $8,425 | $9,682 |
| Oregon | $21,774 | $20,567 | $15,284 | $20,321 |
| Pennsylvania | $15,302 | $14,553 | $13,114 | $11,283 |
| Rhode Island | $18,972 | $18,972 | $16,639 | $14,676 |
| South Carolina | No data | No data | No data | No data |
| South Dakota | $8,859 | $8,859 | $8,282 | $7,001 |
| Tennessee | $13,926 | $12,800 | $11,565 | $9,538 |
| Texas | $10,894 | $10,454 | $9,863 | $10,062 |
| Utah | $14,533 | $11,626 | $10,136 | $11,084 |
| Vermont | $21,670 | $20,621 | $17,759 | $15,703 |
| Virginia | $17,264 | $16,380 | $14,404 | $13,780 |
| Washington | $23,136 | $20,544 | $17,760 | $19,500 |
| West Virginia | $9,339 | $8,539 | $8,272 | $8,272 |
| Wisconsin | $18,604 | $18,443 | $15,636 | $15,192 |
| Wyoming | $13,120 | $12,210 | $11,525 | $10,986 |

Divided by 12, Massachusetts’ $27,067 is about $2,256 a month for an infant, and Mississippi’s $6,492 about $541. State averages hide big gaps between cities and rural counties. For your own county, the US Department of Labor’s [National Database of Childcare Prices](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/topics/featured-childcare) gives median prices by county, child’s age and type of care. Its latest figures are for 2022, when a year of full-day care for one child ranged from $6,552 to $15,600 depending on age, setting and county size.

## Daycare cost by age: infant, toddler and preschool

Infant rooms need more adults per child, so infant care costs the most and the price falls as children get older. Home daycares (licensed family child care homes) cost less than centers at every age.

*Average price of full-time care in 2025, averaged across states (Child Care Aware of America). Monthly and weekly figures are the yearly price divided by 12 and 52. CCAoA doesn’t publish a national toddler figure; the toddler rows are our average of its state prices (47 states for centers, 45 for homes).*

| Age and setting | Per year | Per month | Per week |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All ages and settings (national average) | $13,184 | $1,099 | $254 |
| Infant, center | $15,636 | $1,303 | $301 |
| Infant, family child care home | $11,673 | $973 | $224 |
| Toddler, center | About $14,350 | About $1,196 | About $276 |
| Toddler, family child care home | About $11,040 | About $920 | About $212 |
| 4-year-old, center | $12,555 | $1,046 | $241 |
| 4-year-old, family child care home | $10,572 | $881 | $203 |

Child Care Aware’s national average of $13,184 blends ages, settings and three ways of weighting the states; it rose from $13,128 in 2024. It equals 10% of the median income of a married couple with children and 33% of a single parent’s. From 2021 to 2025, child care prices rose 23%, close to overall inflation (24%).

Part-day preschool usually costs less than these full-time prices, and public options can be free: see state pre-K, transitional kindergarten and Head Start in the list above.

## Nanny vs daycare cost, and in-home care rates per hour

For one child, a nanny costs far more than daycare. Care.com’s 2026 Cost of Care Report averages the rates families and centers post on its site, so its daycare figure runs higher than Child Care Aware’s state survey averages.

*Average weekly cost for one child (Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report, published February 2026, from 2025 rates posted on Care.com; nannies figured at 40 hours a week, babysitters at 8)*

| Kind of care | A week | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nanny, full time | $870 | About $21.75 an hour; $936 for a toddler |
| Daycare center | $332 | $308 for a toddler |
| Family care center (home daycare) | $323 | $301 for a toddler |
| Babysitter, 8 hours | $175 | About $21.90 an hour |
| After-school sitter, 15 hours | $328 | One child |

The gap narrows with more children: Care.com puts a nanny for two toddlers at $952 a week, against $585 for two at a daycare center. If you hire a nanny, you’re usually their employer, which means payroll taxes and paperwork; the IRS’s [Household Employer’s Tax Guide](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p926) explains them.

## What Primrose, Goddard, Bright Horizons and KinderCare cost

National chains rarely post one price, because each center or franchise sets tuition by age, schedule and location. Here’s what each one’s own pages said in October 2026:

- **Primrose Schools**: tuition is set by each independently owned school, and several post a weekly range on their own Tuition page. [Primrose School of Hilliard at Mill Run](https://www.primroseschools.com/schools/hilliard-mill-run/tuition), Ohio, lists $338–$450 a week for infants and $281–$375 for pre-K, with meals, diapers and wipes included.
- **The Goddard School**: [no prices online](https://www.goddardschool.com/tuition-benefits). Rates depend on your child’s age, program and schedule, and the local school gives you a rate when you tour.
- **Bright Horizons**: no prices online. Its center pages say tuition varies by center, schedule and classroom, and ask you to contact the center. Workers whose employers buy its tuition benefit get 20% off.
- **KinderCare**: [no prices online](https://www.kindercare.com/resources/child-care-costs). Tuition depends on location, your child’s age and how many days you need; its Family Support line (888-525-2780) gives quotes.

- [ ] What’s included: meals, snacks, diapers, wipes, supplies?
- [ ] Registration, supply and deposit fees, and whether they’re refundable
- [ ] Do you pay for holidays, closures and your own vacation weeks?
- [ ] Sibling, employer and military discounts
- [ ] Does it take your state’s child care subsidy?
- [ ] How often tuition goes up, and by how much last time

## Questions parents ask

### How much is daycare a week?

About $254 a week on average, based on Child Care Aware of America’s national average of $13,184 a year in 2025. Infant care in a center averaged about $301 a week, and a 4-year-old about $241; a licensed home daycare averaged about $224 a week for an infant. Care.com’s 2026 report, built from rates posted on its site, puts daycare at $332 a week. Your state matters most: see the table above.

### How much is daycare a month?

About $1,099 a month on average in 2025 ($13,184 a year), according to Child Care Aware of America. For an infant in a center, the average across states was about $1,303 a month; for a 4-year-old, about $1,046. By state, infant care in a center runs from about $541 a month in Mississippi to about $2,256 in Massachusetts.

### How much does infant daycare cost?

Infant care is the most expensive. In 2025, a year of full-time infant care averaged $15,636 in a center and $11,673 in a licensed family child care home, averaged across states (Child Care Aware of America): roughly $1,300 or $970 a month. In Massachusetts, Hawaii, Washington and California, center care for an infant tops $23,000 a year. Prices for toddlers fall only a little; the bigger drop comes by age 4.

### How much does preschool cost?

For a 4-year-old in full-time care, the 2025 average was $12,555 a year in a center and $10,572 in a family child care home (Child Care Aware of America). Part-day preschool usually costs less, and public options can be free: state pre-K in many states, transitional kindergarten in California, and Head Start for families with low incomes. Montessori and other private preschools set their own tuition, so ask each school for its rates and fees.

### Is a nanny cheaper than daycare?

Not for one child. Care.com’s 2026 Cost of Care Report puts a full-time nanny at $870 a week, about $21.75 an hour, against $332 a week for a daycare center. The gap narrows with more children: a nanny for two toddlers averaged $952 a week, against $585 for two at a center. With a nanny you’re also usually the employer, which adds payroll taxes and paperwork.

### Can I use a dependent care FSA and the child care tax credit together?

Yes, but not for the same dollars. Whatever you pay through a dependent care FSA comes off the $3,000 (one child) or $6,000 (two or more) of costs the credit can count. With the 2026 FSA limit of $7,500, a family that uses the whole amount has no costs left for the credit. At low incomes, where the credit is worth 50%, the credit may be worth more than the FSA; a tax preparer can run both.

## How we made this list

Prices are from Child Care Aware of America’s Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply (published May 2026), read from its state tables in October 2026, and from Care.com’s 2026 Cost of Care Report for nannies and sitters. Monthly and weekly figures, and the toddler averages, are our math from those yearly numbers. Each way to pay less was checked on its official page or in the law itself; we left out sites that publish state prices without a dated, named source.

- [Child Care Aware of America: Child Care in America, 2025 Price & Supply](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025)
- [Child Care Aware of America: 2025 affordability analysis, prices by state](https://info.childcareaware.org/child-care-affordability-analysis-2025)
- [US Department of Labor: National Database of Childcare Prices](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/topics/featured-childcare)
- [Care.com: 2026 Cost of Care Report](https://www.care.com/c/how-much-does-child-care-cost)
- [IRS: Child and Dependent Care Credit](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-and-dependent-care-credit-information)
- [26 U.S.C. § 21, the child and dependent care credit](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/21)
- [26 U.S.C. § 129, dependent care assistance programs](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/129)
- [ACF: CCDF family income eligibility levels by state (January 2025)](https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/occ/CCDF-Family-Income-Eligibility-Levels-by-State.pdf)
- [Head Start eligibility, 45 CFR 1302.12](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/1302.12)
- [Childcare.gov: child care financial assistance options](https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/get-help-paying-for-child-care/child-care-financial-assistance-options)
- [Childcare.gov: military child care fee assistance](https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/military-child-care-fee-assistance-programs)
- [NIEER: The State of Preschool 2025](https://nieer.org/yearbook/2025)

More guides: https://summerground.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-daycare.md, https://summerground.com/guides/what-age-is-preschool.md, https://summerground.com/guides/parents-night-out.md, https://summerground.com/guides/special-needs-daycare-los-angeles.md. All of them: https://summerground.com/guides.md.