Can a typical family afford childcare in Custer County, MT?

For most families, no. At $12,427/yr (20.3% of the $61,114 median household income), infant center care in Custer County costs 2.9× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $177,529/yr — about $116,415 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 16.4% of income, still above the 7% line.

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

For infant center care ($12,427/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $177,529 a year. The local median household income is $61,114, a gap of $116,415. 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 Custer County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Custer County. Infant family daycare runs $193/wk versus $239/wk for a center — about 19% less per week. Annualized, that's $2,399 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 Custer County, MT?

Infant center-based childcare in Custer County, MT costs $239 per week ($12,427 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $193 per week ($10,028 per year). With a median household income of $61,114, the childcare burden index is 20.3% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Custer County compare to the rest of MT?

Custer 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 Custer County, MT?

No — infant childcare in Custer County, MT is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $12,427 per year, center-based infant care consumes 20.3% of the $61,114 median household income — 2.9× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $177,529 a year ($116,415 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 Custer County, infant center care costs $12,427/yr against a median household income of $61,114, a burden of 20.3% — 2.9× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Custer County household would need to earn about $177,529/yr — roughly $116,415 above the local median of $61,114. Put differently, a median-income family pays 20.3% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $193/wk ($10,028/yr), which works out to 16.4% 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)	20.3% (Severe)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$177,529/yr
Median Household Income	$61,114
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	16.4%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$239	$193
Toddler (1-2)	$247	$196
Preschool (3-5)	$213	$196
School-Age (6+)	$213	$182

How does Custer County compare?

At $239/wk for infant center care, Custer County runs 38% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 20.3% 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 Custer County runs $193/wk for infants — about 19% less than center-based care, or $2,399 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $213/wk (center) or $182/wk (family).

View full Custer County childcare data →See all MT county rankings →Most expensive childcare areas →Try the affordability calculator →

More about Custer County

How much does childcare cost in Custer County, MT? →

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.