Can a typical family afford childcare in Wayne County, IL?

For most families, no. At $13,734/yr (25.7% of the $53,522 median household income), infant center care in Wayne County costs 3.7× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $196,200/yr — about $142,678 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 12.1% of income, still above the 7% line.

What income do you need to afford daycare in Wayne County, IL?

For infant center care ($13,734/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $196,200 a year. The local median household income is $53,522, a gap of $142,678. 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 Wayne County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Wayne County. Infant family daycare runs $125/wk versus $264/wk for a center — about 53% less per week. Annualized, that's $7,234 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 Wayne County, IL?

Infant center-based childcare in Wayne County, IL costs $264 per week ($13,734 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $125 per week ($6,500 per year). With a median household income of $53,522, the childcare burden index is 25.7% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Wayne County compare to the rest of IL?

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

Is Childcare Affordable in Wayne County, IL?

No — infant childcare in Wayne County, IL is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $13,734 per year, center-based infant care consumes 25.7% of the $53,522 median household income — 3.7× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $196,200 a year ($142,678 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 Wayne County, infant center care costs $13,734/yr against a median household income of $53,522, a burden of 25.7% — 3.7× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Wayne County household would need to earn about $196,200/yr — roughly $142,678 above the local median of $53,522. Put differently, a median-income family pays 25.7% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $125/wk ($6,500/yr), which works out to 12.1% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 53% 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)	25.7% (Severe)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$196,200/yr
Median Household Income	$53,522
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	12.1%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$264	$125
Toddler (1-2)	$205	$0
Preschool (3-5)	$172	$0
School-Age (6+)	$155	$0

How does Wayne County compare?

At $264/wk for infant center care, Wayne County runs 52% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 25.7% 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 Wayne County runs $125/wk for infants — about 53% less than center-based care, or $7,234 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $155/wk (center) or $0/wk (family).

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

More about Wayne County

How much does childcare cost in Wayne County, IL? →

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.