Is Childcare Affordable in McLean County, ND?
No — infant childcare in McLean County, ND is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $11,184 per year, center-based infant care consumes 13.9% of the $80,556 median household income — 2.0× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $159,771 a year ($79,215 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 McLean County, infant center care costs $11,184/yr against a median household income of $80,556, a burden of 13.9% — 2.0× the 7% ceiling.
To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a McLean County household would need to earn about $159,771/yr — roughly $79,215 above the local median of $80,556. Put differently, a median-income family pays 13.9% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.
The cheapest path is family-based home care at $158/wk ($8,219/yr), which works out to 10.2% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 27% 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) | 13.9% (Moderate) |
| HHS Affordability Threshold | 7.0% |
| Income Needed to Be Affordable | $159,771/yr |
| Median Household Income | $80,556 |
| Family-Care Burden (cheapest) | 10.2% |
Cost by Care Type
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Family/Wk |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $215 | $158 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $197 | $149 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $182 | $150 |
| School-Age (6+) | $176 | $154 |
How does McLean County compare?
At $215/wk for infant center care, McLean County runs 24% above the national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index here is 13.9% of median household income — a moderate burden, above the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
For families looking to lower the bill, family-based (home) daycare in McLean County runs $158/wk for infants — about 27% less than center-based care, or $2,965 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $176/wk (center) or $154/wk (family).
More about McLean 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.