Can a typical family afford childcare in Big Horn County, MT?

For most families, no. At $11,331/yr (21.6% of the $52,463 median household income), infant center care in Big Horn County costs 3.1× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $161,871/yr — about $109,408 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 17.0% of income, still above the 7% line.

What income do you need to afford daycare in Big Horn County, MT?

For infant center care ($11,331/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $161,871 a year. The local median household income is $52,463, a gap of $109,408. These figures cover one child; a second child in care roughly doubles the income you'd need.

What's cheaper, a daycare center or family daycare in Big Horn County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Big Horn County. Infant family daycare runs $171/wk versus $218/wk for a center — about 21% less per week. Annualized, that's $2,414 in savings per year. Center-based care offers more structured curricula and staff redundancy; family daycare is run out of a provider's home with smaller group sizes and often more flexible hours.

How much does childcare cost in Big Horn County, MT?

Infant center-based childcare in Big Horn County, MT costs $218 per week ($11,331 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $171 per week ($8,917 per year). With a median household income of $52,463, the childcare burden index is 21.6% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Big Horn County compare to the rest of MT?

Big Horn County is one of the counties tracked in MT for the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices. See the full state ranking for direct comparison.

Is Childcare Affordable in Big Horn County, MT?

No — infant childcare in Big Horn County, MT is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $11,331 per year, center-based infant care consumes 21.6% of the $52,463 median household income — 3.1× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $161,871 a year ($109,408 more than the local median) for this care to fall under the 7% line.

The Affordability Math

Affordability isn't about the sticker price — it's the share of income childcare eats. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sets the line at 7% of household income. In Big Horn County, infant center care costs $11,331/yr against a median household income of $52,463, a burden of 21.6% — 3.1× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Big Horn County household would need to earn about $161,871/yr — roughly $109,408 above the local median of $52,463. Put differently, a median-income family pays 21.6% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $171/wk ($8,917/yr), which works out to 17.0% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 21% cheaper than a center. Income-eligible families can also apply for the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy, which caps copays at 7% of income by design — see the subsidy options below.

Affordability Measure	Value
Burden Index (infant center)	21.6% (Severe)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$161,871/yr
Median Household Income	$52,463
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	17.0%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$218	$171
Toddler (1-2)	$227	$175
Preschool (3-5)	$195	$175
School-Age (6+)	$195	$162

How does Big Horn County compare?

At $218/wk for infant center care, Big Horn County runs 26% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 21.6% 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 Big Horn County runs $171/wk for infants — about 21% less than center-based care, or $2,414 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $195/wk (center) or $162/wk (family).

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More about Big Horn County

How much does childcare cost in Big Horn County, MT? →

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.

A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.