Is Childcare Affordable in Dawson County, MT?
No — infant childcare in Dawson County, MT is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $11,728 per year, center-based infant care consumes 17.2% of the $68,168 median household income — 2.5× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $167,543 a year ($99,375 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 Dawson County, infant center care costs $11,728/yr against a median household income of $68,168, a burden of 17.2% — 2.5× the 7% ceiling.
To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Dawson County household would need to earn about $167,543/yr — roughly $99,375 above the local median of $68,168. Put differently, a median-income family pays 17.2% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.
The cheapest path is family-based home care at $182/wk ($9,466/yr), which works out to 13.9% 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) | 17.2% (High) |
| HHS Affordability Threshold | 7.0% |
| Income Needed to Be Affordable | $167,543/yr |
| Median Household Income | $68,168 |
| Family-Care Burden (cheapest) | 13.9% |
Cost by Care Type
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Family/Wk |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $226 | $182 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $234 | $185 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $201 | $185 |
| School-Age (6+) | $201 | $172 |
How does Dawson County compare?
At $226/wk for infant center care, Dawson County runs 30% above the national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index here is 17.2% 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 Dawson County runs $182/wk for infants — about 19% less than center-based care, or $2,262 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $201/wk (center) or $172/wk (family).
More about Dawson 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.
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.