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

For most families, no. At $11,495/yr (23.8% of the $48,272 median household income), infant center care in Wheatland County costs 3.4× the 7% HHS affordability threshold. A household would need to earn roughly $164,214/yr — about $115,942 above the local median — for this care to count as affordable. Even cheaper family-based home care runs 18.7% of income, still above the 7% line.

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

For infant center care ($11,495/yr) to stay within the 7% HHS affordability threshold, a household would need to earn about $164,214 a year. The local median household income is $48,272, a gap of $115,942. 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 Wheatland County?

Family-based (home) daycare is the cheaper option in Wheatland County. Infant family daycare runs $174/wk versus $221/wk for a center — about 21% less per week. Annualized, that's $2,465 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 Wheatland County, MT?

Infant center-based childcare in Wheatland County, MT costs $221 per week ($11,495 per year), based on DOL data. Family-based infant care is $174 per week ($9,030 per year). With a median household income of $48,272, the childcare burden index is 23.8% of income. The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174 for comparison.

How does Wheatland County compare to the rest of MT?

Wheatland 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 Wheatland County, MT?

No — infant childcare in Wheatland County, MT is not affordable by the federal benchmark. At $11,495 per year, center-based infant care consumes 23.8% of the $48,272 median household income — 3.4× the 7% the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats as affordable. A household would need to earn about $164,214 a year ($115,942 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 Wheatland County, infant center care costs $11,495/yr against a median household income of $48,272, a burden of 23.8% — 3.4× the 7% ceiling.

To bring infant center care under the 7% line, a Wheatland County household would need to earn about $164,214/yr — roughly $115,942 above the local median of $48,272. Put differently, a median-income family pays 23.8% of everything they earn before tax just for one infant in center-based care.

The cheapest path is family-based home care at $174/wk ($9,030/yr), which works out to 18.7% of median income — still above the 7% threshold, but 21% 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)	23.8% (Severe)
HHS Affordability Threshold	7.0%
Income Needed to Be Affordable	$164,214/yr
Median Household Income	$48,272
Family-Care Burden (cheapest)	18.7%

Cost by Care Type

Age Group	Center/Wk	Family/Wk
Infant (0-1)	$221	$174
Toddler (1-2)	$229	$177
Preschool (3-5)	$197	$177
School-Age (6+)	$197	$164

How does Wheatland County compare?

At $221/wk for infant center care, Wheatland County runs 27% above the national median of $174/wk.

The Childcare Burden Index here is 23.8% 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 Wheatland County runs $174/wk for infants — about 21% less than center-based care, or $2,465 in annual savings. School-age care is the cheapest category at $197/wk (center) or $164/wk (family).

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

More about Wheatland County

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

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.