Infant vs Toddler vs Preschool Childcare Cost in Deer Lodge County, MT
In Deer Lodge County, MT, center-based childcare costs $208/wk for infants, $215/wk for toddlers, $186/wk for preschoolers, and $186/wk for school-age children, based on DOL data. Care gets cheaper as a child gets older: preschool is about 11% ($22/wk, $1,159/yr) less than infant care. Toddler (1-2) is the priciest age group ($215/wk) and preschool (3-5) the cheapest ($186/wk).
Cost by Child's Age
Childcare prices in Deer Lodge County track a child's age closely, because state licensing rules require more staff per child for the youngest age bands. Infant center care costs $208/wk ($10,814/yr), the highest band in most counties, while preschool care runs $186/wk ($9,655/yr). That's a 11% drop — about $22/wk, or $1,159 a year, in savings as your child moves from infant to preschool.
The priciest age group in Deer Lodge County is Toddler (1-2) at $215/wk, and the cheapest is preschool (3-5) at $186/wk — a spread of $30/wk between the most and least expensive bands. The decline is uneven here: toddler care sits close to or above infant care, so the cost curve is not perfectly smooth. School-age care (ages 6+) is usually the most economical at $186/wk, since those children only need before- and after-school coverage.
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | vs Infant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $208 | $10,814 | — |
| Toddler (1-2) | $215 | $11,193 | +$7 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $186 | $9,655 | -$22 |
| School-Age (6+) | $186 | $9,655 | -$22 |
Burden Index
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $46,436 |
| Burden Index | 23.3% (Severe) |
| National Median (Infant Center) | $174/wk |
How does Deer Lodge County compare?
At $208/wk for infant center care, Deer Lodge County runs 20% above the national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index here is 23.3% of median household income — a severe burden, more than triple the 7% affordability threshold the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services uses.
For families looking to lower the bill, family-based (home) daycare in Deer Lodge County runs $168/wk for infants — about 19% less than center-based care, or $2,089 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $186/wk (center) or $159/wk (family).
More about Deer Lodge County
The data source behind this answer is the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices. Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.