Infant vs Toddler vs Preschool Childcare Cost in Missoula County, MT
In Missoula County, MT, center-based childcare costs $219/wk for infants, $230/wk for toddlers, $196/wk for preschoolers, and $196/wk for school-age children, based on DOL data. Care gets cheaper as a child gets older: preschool is about 11% ($23/wk, $1,196/yr) less than infant care. Toddler (1-2) is the priciest age group ($230/wk) and preschool (3-5) the cheapest ($196/wk).
Cost by Child's Age
Childcare prices in Missoula 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 $219/wk ($11,363/yr), the highest band in most counties, while preschool care runs $196/wk ($10,167/yr). That's a 11% drop — about $23/wk, or $1,196 a year, in savings as your child moves from infant to preschool.
The priciest age group in Missoula County is Toddler (1-2) at $230/wk, and the cheapest is preschool (3-5) at $196/wk — a spread of $34/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 $196/wk, since those children only need before- and after-school coverage.
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | vs Infant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $219 | $11,363 | — |
| Toddler (1-2) | $230 | $11,961 | +$11 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $196 | $10,167 | -$23 |
| School-Age (6+) | $196 | $10,167 | -$23 |
Burden Index
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $66,840 |
| Burden Index | 17.0% (High) |
| National Median (Infant Center) | $174/wk |
How does Missoula County compare?
At $219/wk for infant center care, Missoula County runs 26% above the national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index here is 17.0% of median household income — a high burden, more than double the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
For families looking to lower the bill, family-based (home) daycare in Missoula County runs $177/wk for infants — about 19% less than center-based care, or $2,150 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $196/wk (center) or $168/wk (family).
More about Missoula County
This answer pulls from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, the authoritative federal source for U.S. childcare prices. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.
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.