Can a typical family afford childcare in Cochise County, AZ?

For most families, no. At $11,180/yr (19.1% of the $58,421 median household income), infant center care in Cochise County costs 2.7× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $159,714/yr — about $101,293 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 15.6% of income, still above the 7% line.

What income do you need to afford daycare in Cochise County, AZ?

For infant center care ($11,180/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $159,714 a year. The local median household income is $58,421, a gap of $101,293. 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 Cochise County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Cochise County. Infant family daycare runs $175/wk versus $215/wk for a center — about 19% less per week. Annualized, that's $2,080 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 Cochise County, AZ?

Infant center-based childcare in Cochise County, AZ costs $215 per week ($11,180 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $175 per week ($9,100 per year). With a median household income of $58,421, the childcare burden index is 19.1% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Cochise County compare to the rest of AZ?

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

Is Childcare Affordable in Cochise County, AZ?

No — infant childcare in Cochise County, AZ is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $11,180 per year, center-based infant care consumes 19.1% of the $58,421 median household income — 2.7× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $159,714 a year ($101,293 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 Cochise County, infant center care costs $11,180/yr against a median household income of $58,421, a burden of 19.1% — 2.7× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Cochise County household would need to earn about $159,714/yr — roughly $101,293 above the local median of $58,421. Put differently, a median-income family pays 19.1% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $175/wk ($9,100/yr), which works out to 15.6% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 19% 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)	19.1% (High)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$159,714/yr
Median Household Income	$58,421
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	15.6%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$215	$175
Toddler (1-2)	$155	$175
Preschool (3-5)	$155	$175
School-Age (6+)	$166	$163

How does Cochise County compare?

At $215/wk for infant center care, Cochise County runs 24% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 19.1% 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 Cochise County runs $175/wk for infants — about 19% less than center-based care, or $2,080 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $166/wk (center) or $163/wk (family).

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More about Cochise County

How much does childcare cost in Cochise County, AZ? →

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.