Can a typical family afford childcare in Queen Anne's County, MD?

For most families, no. At $13,231/yr (12.2% of the $108,332 median household income), infant center care in Queen Anne's County costs 1.7× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $189,014/yr — about $80,682 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 8.5% of income, still above the 7% line.

What income do you need to afford daycare in Queen Anne's County, MD?

For infant center care ($13,231/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $189,014 a year. The local median household income is $108,332, a gap of $80,682. 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 Queen Anne's County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Queen Anne's County. Infant family daycare runs $177/wk versus $254/wk for a center — about 31% less per week. Annualized, that's $4,041 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 Queen Anne's County, MD?

Infant center-based childcare in Queen Anne's County, MD costs $254 per week ($13,231 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $177 per week ($9,190 per year). With a median household income of $108,332, the childcare burden index is 12.2% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Queen Anne's County compare to the rest of MD?

Queen Anne's County is one of the counties tracked in MD for the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices. See the full state ranking for direct comparison.

Is Childcare Affordable in Queen Anne's County, MD?

No — infant childcare in Queen Anne's County, MD is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $13,231 per year, center-based infant care consumes 12.2% of the $108,332 median household income — 1.7× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $189,014 a year ($80,682 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 Queen Anne's County, infant center care costs $13,231/yr against a median household income of $108,332, a burden of 12.2% — 1.7× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Queen Anne's County household would need to earn about $189,014/yr — roughly $80,682 above the local median of $108,332. Put differently, a median-income family pays 12.2% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $177/wk ($9,190/yr), which works out to 8.5% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 31% 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)	12.2% (Moderate)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$189,014/yr
Median Household Income	$108,332
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	8.5%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$254	$177
Toddler (1-2)	$175	$156
Preschool (3-5)	$175	$156
School-Age (6+)	$163	$129

How does Queen Anne's County compare?

At $254/wk for infant center care, Queen Anne's County runs 47% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 12.2% 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 Queen Anne's County runs $177/wk for infants — about 31% less than center-based care, or $4,041 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $163/wk (center) or $129/wk (family).

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More about Queen Anne's County

How much does childcare cost in Queen Anne's County, MD? →

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.