How much does infant daycare cost?
Full-time infant care at a daycare center costs about $16,380 a year in the U.S., roughly $1,360 a month (our estimate in August 2026 prices), and about 26% more than care for a preschooler. Here are prices for 48 states and D.C., Texas workforce areas, California and Pennsylvania counties, and counties across the U.S., plus why babies cost more, the fees to ask about and ways to pay less.
Updated Oct 12, 2026.
Infant care prices in your county
Median full-time prices. National database: U.S. Department of Labor, mostly 2022 prices, raised to August 2026 with the BLS day care and preschool price index (our estimate). For Texas, California and Pennsylvania the top figure uses newer state data. Prices are for one child; ask about sibling discounts.
Infant daycare cost by state
By our estimate in August 2026 prices, full-time infant care at a center costs about $16,380 a year on average across the U.S., from about $8,400 in Mississippi to $28,000 in Massachusetts (and $31,100 in Washington, D.C.). Home daycare (a licensed family child care home) costs less in most places: about $12,570 a year for an infant on average.
| State | Center, a year | A month | Home daycare, a year | More than preschool | Price year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $27,967 | $2,331 | $17,304 | 44% | 2022 |
| California | $23,555 | $1,963 | $18,460 | 47% | 2022 |
| Washington | $23,513 | $1,959 | $17,350 | 27% | 2022 |
| Colorado | $22,943 | $1,912 | $15,139 | 30% | 2015–2022 |
| Connecticut | $22,497 | $1,875 | $16,136 | 30% | 2022 |
| Hawaii | $21,132 | $1,761 | $12,389 | 39% | 2022 |
| Vermont | $21,047 | $1,754 | $13,239 | 2% | 2021 |
| Maryland | $20,972 | $1,748 | $14,766 | 33% | 2022 |
| Minnesota | $20,530 | $1,711 | $11,391 | 24% | 2022 |
| Oregon | $20,274 | $1,689 | $13,625 | 37% | 2022 |
| Alaska | $20,204 | $1,684 | $15,921 | 21% | 2015–2022 |
| New Jersey | $19,529 | $1,627 | $12,414 | 2% | 2022 |
| New York | $18,783 | $1,565 | $15,514 | 15% | 2022 |
| New Hampshire | $18,744 | $1,562 | $12,902 | 20% | 2022 |
| Rhode Island | $18,623 | $1,552 | $16,401 | 18% | 2022 |
| Illinois | $17,891 | $1,491 | $12,457 | 35% | 2020–2022 |
| Ohio | $16,850 | $1,404 | $11,976 | 27% | 2022 |
| Nevada | $16,631 | $1,386 | $11,748 | 20% | 2022 |
| Virginia | $16,586 | $1,382 | $12,315 | 24% | 2013–2022 |
| Wisconsin | $16,340 | $1,362 | $12,290 | 12% | 2022 |
| Arizona | $16,065 | $1,339 | $11,471 | 30% | 2022 |
| Delaware | $15,159 | $1,263 | $10,834 | 31% | 2022 |
| Pennsylvania | $14,882 | $1,240 | $11,310 | 19% | 2020 |
| Maine | $14,851 | $1,238 | $11,456 | 14% | 2022 |
| Utah | $14,389 | $1,199 | $10,696 | 35% | 2022 |
| Florida | $14,285 | $1,190 | $11,255 | 35% | 2015–2022 |
| Montana | $14,154 | $1,180 | $11,386 | 12% | 2022 |
| Nebraska | $13,950 | $1,163 | $8,374 | 18% | 2022 |
| North Carolina | $13,919 | $1,160 | $11,098 | 52% | 2015–2022 |
| Missouri | $13,753 | $1,146 | $9,610 | 26% | 2016–2020 |
| North Dakota | $13,685 | $1,140 | $10,066 | 18% | 2022 |
| Oklahoma | $13,489 | $1,124 | $9,790 | 16% | 2022 |
| Tennessee | $11,993 | $999 | $8,691 | 39% | 2022 |
| South Carolina | $11,741 | $978 | $8,726 | 9% | 2022 |
| Texas | $11,048 | $921 | $9,869 | 10% | 2022 |
| Wyoming | $10,865 | $905 | $9,907 | 10% | 2019–2022 |
| West Virginia | $10,687 | $891 | $9,674 | 3% | 2022 |
| Georgia | $10,631 | $886 | $8,976 | 13% | 2022 |
| Iowa | $10,563 | $880 | $7,095 | 16% | 2022 |
| Michigan | $10,542 | $879 | $12,304 | 8% | 2022 |
| Idaho | $10,514 | $876 | $8,088 | 13% | 2022 |
| Kentucky | $10,132 | $844 | $7,782 | 13% | 2022 |
| Kansas | $9,957 | $830 | $7,871 | 15% | 2022 |
| Louisiana | $9,502 | $792 | $8,377 | 6% | 2022 |
| South Dakota | $9,490 | $791 | $6,884 | 7% | 2022 |
| Alabama | $8,620 | $718 | $8,188 | 8% | 2022 |
| Arkansas | $8,483 | $707 | $6,969 | 14% | 2018–2021 |
| Mississippi | $8,360 | $697 | — | 14% | 2022 |
County medians weighted by county population, as the Department of Labor does; August 2026 prices, our estimate from each county’s latest year (National Database of Childcare Prices). Price year is each state’s range of county survey years. A few state figures look odd because of their surveys (New Jersey and Vermont infant prices barely above preschool; Michigan homes above centers), and some states cover only part of their counties. Indiana and New Mexico aren’t in the database; Child Care Aware puts infant center care there at about $17,461 and $13,521 a year (2025, FFYF fact sheets). State prices for Texas, California and Pennsylvania from newer state surveys are below.
Texas: infant care by area
The 2026 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey puts the statewide median at $45.00 a day for babies under 12 months at a licensed center (about $975 a month), $44.80 for 12 to 17 months, $43.20 for 18 to 23 months and $41.00 for 3-year-olds.
| Workforce area | Infant, a day | A month | A year | More than a 3-year-old | Change since 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Area | $61.80 | $1,339 | $16,068 | 9% | +15.3% |
| Rural Capital | $53.00 | $1,148 | $13,780 | 10% | +16.2% |
| Greater Dallas | $49.60 | $1,075 | $12,896 | 9% | +8.3% |
| North Central Texas | $48.40 | $1,049 | $12,584 | 10% | -5.1% |
| Alamo | $47.60 | $1,031 | $12,376 | 9% | +13.3% |
| Tarrant County | $46.80 | $1,014 | $12,168 | 8% | +2.6% |
| Cameron | $45.80 | $992 | $11,908 | 8% | +11.7% |
| Gulf Coast | $45.80 | $992 | $11,908 | 10% | +7.5% |
| Lower Rio Grande Valley | $40.60 | $880 | $10,556 | 8% | +14.0% |
| Brazos Valley | $39.20 | $849 | $10,192 | 9% | +10.7% |
| Coastal Bend | $37.40 | $810 | $9,724 | 7% | +6.2% |
| Panhandle | $35.40 | $767 | $9,204 | 9% | +9.9% |
| South Plains | $35.20 | $763 | $9,152 | 10% | +4.1% |
| Borderplex | $35.20 | $763 | $9,152 | 7% | +11.4% |
| Permian Basin | $35.20 | $763 | $9,152 | 8% | +8.6% |
| Heart of Texas | $35.00 | $758 | $9,100 | 9% | +10.8% |
| Texoma | $35.00 | $758 | $9,100 | 8% | +10.1% |
| Middle Rio Grande | $34.80 | $754 | $9,048 | 12% | +8.1% |
| Central Texas | $34.60 | $750 | $8,996 | 7% | +12.3% |
| South Texas | $32.20 | $698 | $8,372 | 8% | +3.9% |
| Golden Crescent | $32.00 | $693 | $8,320 | 7% | +17.6% |
| West Central Texas | $31.80 | $689 | $8,268 | 9% | +3.2% |
| East Texas | $31.20 | $676 | $8,112 | 7% | +8.3% |
| Southeast Texas | $31.20 | $676 | $8,112 | 8% | +9.1% |
| North Texas | $30.40 | $659 | $7,904 | 8% | +8.6% |
| Deep East Texas | $29.40 | $637 | $7,644 | 7% | +3.5% |
| Northeast Texas | $29.00 | $628 | $7,540 | 7% | +3.6% |
| Concho Valley | $28.60 | $620 | $7,436 | 11% | +2.9% |
Median full-day rate at licensed centers for infants 0–11 months, from 2026 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey; a month = 260 days ÷ 12. Every county, toddlers and preschoolers →
California: infant care by county
California’s last price survey (2021), raised to August 2026 prices, puts full-time infant care at a center at about $1,936 a month ($23,234 a year) statewide, and about $1,399 a month for a preschooler.
| County | Center, a month | Center, a year | Family child care home, a year | More than preschool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $1,962 | $23,543 | $15,651 | 43% |
| San Diego | $1,844 | $22,128 | $15,084 | 44% |
| Orange | $1,998 | $23,973 | $16,929 | 44% |
| Santa Clara | $2,447 | $29,367 | $22,653 | 21% |
| Alameda | $2,364 | $28,365 | $21,023 | 21% |
| Sacramento | $1,766 | $21,190 | $15,365 | 42% |
| San Bernardino | $1,577 | $18,922 | $14,072 | 50% |
| Riverside | $1,576 | $18,913 | $14,070 | 46% |
| Contra Costa | $2,183 | $26,196 | $18,166 | 34% |
| San Francisco | $2,629 | $31,548 | $25,228 | 20% |
| San Mateo | $2,457 | $29,481 | $23,447 | 20% |
| Fresno | $1,575 | $18,905 | $14,504 | 46% |
| Ventura | $1,713 | $20,556 | $14,568 | 44% |
| San Joaquin | $1,512 | $18,147 | $13,446 | 50% |
| Kern | $1,605 | $19,262 | $14,673 | 52% |
The 15 counties with the most licensed centers. Median full-time prices for infants under 2 from the 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey, adjusted by the BLS day care price index (our estimate). All 58 counties →
Pennsylvania: infant care by county
Pennsylvania centers list their daily rates in the state’s COMPASS search. The median for infants is $67.70 a day (about $1,467 a month), against $56.21 for preschoolers, from 2,639 centers that list an infant rate (some list one without turning up in the state’s infant search).
| County | Infant, a day | A month | A year | More than preschool | Centers listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $70.00 | $1,517 | $18,200 | 21% | 762 |
| Allegheny | $69.00 | $1,495 | $17,940 | 15% | 234 |
| Montgomery | $80.00 | $1,733 | $20,800 | 18% | 169 |
| Lehigh | $55.50 | $1,202 | $14,429 | 18% | 124 |
| Chester | $80.60 | $1,746 | $20,956 | 17% | 107 |
| Delaware | $68.00 | $1,473 | $17,680 | 20% | 106 |
| Bucks | $74.00 | $1,603 | $19,240 | 16% | 101 |
| Berks | $58.00 | $1,257 | $15,080 | 18% | 84 |
| Luzerne | $51.60 | $1,118 | $13,416 | 20% | 70 |
| Lancaster | $71.00 | $1,538 | $18,460 | 28% | 65 |
| Northampton | $55.00 | $1,192 | $14,300 | 20% | 62 |
| Westmoreland | $54.80 | $1,187 | $14,248 | 14% | 56 |
| Dauphin | $66.50 | $1,441 | $17,290 | 18% | 54 |
| York | $59.60 | $1,291 | $15,496 | 21% | 45 |
| Erie | $58.91 | $1,276 | $15,318 | 7% | 38 |
The 15 counties with the most centers listing an infant rate. Rates are what centers post and may have changed; programs don’t have to list them. Every county →
Why infant care costs more
Staff are most of a daycare’s costs, and babies need the most of them. A caregiver may look after at most four babies, but two and a half to nearly four times as many preschoolers, so each infant spot carries a much bigger share of a teacher’s pay. Infant rooms also need cribs, more space per child and lots of diapering and feeding time, and many centers cap their infant rooms, so there are fewer spots to spread costs over.
| Infants per caregiver | Older children per caregiver | The full chart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1 to 4 (under 12 months) | 1 to 15 (3-year-olds) | Texas ratios |
| California | 1 to 4 (infants) | 1 to 12 (preschool) | California ratios |
| Pennsylvania | 1 to 4 (infants) | 1 to 10 (preschool) | Pennsylvania ratios |
When does daycare get cheaper?
Prices step down as children get older and ratios loosen, usually at 18 months or 2 years and again at 3. In Texas the drop is gentle: the median for an 18-month-old is only a little below an infant’s. Nationally a preschooler costs about 21% less than a baby.
| Infant | Toddler | Preschooler (3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (2026, a day) | $45.00 | $43.20 | $41.00 |
| Pennsylvania (posted, a day) | $67.70 | $61.52 | $56.21 |
| U.S. (a year) | $16,380 | $13,903 | $12,995 |
Why infant care figures differ
You’ll see very different “average” prices for infant care. They measure different things: medians or averages, prices from state surveys, agency data or rates centers post online, and data from different years. None is wrong; compare like with like.
| Source | What it measures | U.S., a year | Texas | California | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daycare Record (this page) | U.S.: average of county medians from the DOL database, in today’s prices; states: newer state surveys and centers’ posted rates (medians; California weighted by centers) | $16,380 | $11,700 | $23,234 | $17,602 |
| Child Care Aware of America | Average prices from state agencies and referral networks, 2025 | $15,015–$15,728 | $10,894 | $23,071 | $15,302 |
| Care.com | Average weekly rate centers post on Care.com (2026 report) | $332 a week (≈$17,264 a year) | — | — | — |
Child Care Aware’s state figures are from its 2025 data as published in First Five Years Fund state fact sheets (FFYF); its most and least expensive states for infant center care are Massachusetts ($27,067) and Mississippi ($6,492). The Economic Policy Institute found infant care costs more than public college tuition in 38 states and D.C. (EPI, March 2025).
Fees on top of tuition
Tuition is only part of the bill. Ask for the full fee schedule before you sign: registration or enrollment fees, supply and building fees, deposits, waitlist fees, whether you pay for holidays, closures and your own vacation, late-pickup fees, and whether diapers, wipes, formula and food are included. Three examples from published 2026–27 policies:
| Program | State | Fees and billing |
|---|---|---|
| University of Houston Children’s Learning Centers | Texas | registration $50, supply fee $200 and building fee $200 a year, non-refundable; closures don’t reduce tuition (policy) |
| San Diego State University Children’s Center | California | registration $90 a child a year ($180 family maximum); one month’s tuition paid up front, non-refundable; holidays and closures billed; one week of vacation credit after 12 months (policy) |
| Penn College Children’s Learning Center | Pennsylvania | diapers, wipes and meals included; one unbilled vacation week; all scheduled days billed (policy) |
Centers in the federal child care food program must offer at least one iron-fortified infant formula; parents may decline it and bring their own (USDA).
Finding an infant spot
Infant rooms are small and fill early, so start looking months before you need care, and get on more than one waitlist (ask whether the list charges a fee). When you find an opening, check the center’s inspection record, especially for safe sleep and staff ratios.
- Texas: 6,715 of 9,611 licensed centers (70%) are licensed to care for infants. CHILDREN AT RISK counts 413 Texas ZIP codes as child care deserts (2026 analysis).
- California usually licenses infant care separately: 1,979 infant center licenses, plus 1,555 single licenses that can cover babies along with older children, against 8,226 preschool-age center licenses. Only 31% of the child care navigators PPIC surveyed in 2024 said families can find affordable infant care, against 77% for preschool (PPIC, 2025).
- Pennsylvania: 1,747 of the 4,223 certified centers whose ages we know from the state’s search turn up in its search for infant care. A 2025 statewide report counts a net loss of 393 providers since 2019 (Trying Together, 2025).
Safe sleep at daycare → · How to choose a daycare → · Search a center’s record →
Ways to pay less for infant care
- Dependent care FSA: from 2026 you can pay up to $7,500 a year of care with pre-tax pay, if your employer offers it. FSA calculator →
- Child and dependent care credit: 20% to 50% of up to $3,000 in costs for one child ($6,000 for two or more) from 2026; 35% for many working families. FSA money reduces it. Credit calculator →
- State help: Texas child care scholarships cap a family’s share at 7% of income; California and Pennsylvania (Child Care Works) also subsidize care for families under their income limits. New Mexico has paid for child care for working or studying families at every income since November 2025 (NM ECECD).
- Early Head Start is free for eligible families with babies and toddlers. Who qualifies →
- Home daycare or a nanny share can cost less, especially for one baby. Home vs. center → · Nanny share calculator →
- Ask about discounts: sibling, employer, military and part-time rates, and whether prices drop at 12 or 18 months.
Common questions
How much does infant daycare cost per month?
About $1,360 a month on average for full-time care at a U.S. daycare center, from under $700 in Mississippi to over $2,330 in Massachusetts. In Texas the median is about $975 a month (2026 survey).
How much is infant daycare per week?
About $315 a week on average at a center, by our estimate; the average weekly infant rate centers post on Care.com was $332 in its 2026 report.
Why is infant daycare so expensive?
Because babies need the most staff: a caregiver may look after only four infants, against 10 to 18 preschoolers, and staff pay is most of a center’s costs.
When does daycare get cheaper?
Usually when your child moves to the toddler room (around 18 months to 2 years) and again at 3, when ratios loosen. In Texas the drop before age 3 is small.
Is home daycare cheaper for infants?
Usually. Nationally, infant care at a licensed family child care home averages about $12,570 a year, against $16,380 at a center.
Does infant care cost more than college?
In many states, yes: the Economic Policy Institute found infant care costs more than in-state public college tuition in 38 states and D.C.
Can I use an FSA or tax credit for infant daycare?
Yes. A dependent care FSA covers up to $7,500 a year from 2026, and the child and dependent care credit counts up to $3,000 of costs for one child. FSA money reduces the costs the credit can count.
More guides
Changes
- Oct 12, 2026: First published, with infant prices for every state, Texas workforce areas and California and Pennsylvania counties.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices; DOL release, Nov 2024; 2026 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey; California 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey (CDSS); Pennsylvania DHS COMPASS provider search; Child Care Aware of America, 2025 price data (published May 2026); Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report (rates centers post on Care.com); Economic Policy Institute. Checked Oct 12, 2026. Prices are estimates; ask each center for its rates.