Alameda County, CA vs Stearns County, MN
Side-by-side childcare cost comparison. Infant center care costs $516/wk in Alameda County and $431/wk in Stearns County.
| Metric | Alameda County, CA | Stearns County, MN |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Center (wk) | $516 | $431 |
| Infant Family (wk) | $361 | $143 |
| Toddler Center (wk) | $371 | $382 |
| Toddler Family (wk) | $311 | $132 |
| Preschool Center (wk) | $408 | $337 |
| Preschool Family (wk) | $345 | $132 |
| School-Age Center (wk) | $434 | $249 |
| School-Age Family (wk) | $279 | $127 |
| Median Income | $122,488 | $73,105 |
| Burden Index | 21.9% | 30.6% |
Annual Cost Comparison (Infant Center)
Alameda County
$26,827/yr
Stearns County
$22,395/yr
Last updated:
The side-by-side above pulls the the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices data for both entity A and entity B. What follows is the interpretation — which specific axes carry the most weight for entity A versus entity B, and which differences are large enough to influence a real decision.
Practical use of the comparison: read the data above, then drill into the individual entity A and entity B detail pages for the underlying breakdown. A pairwise comparison answers the relative question; the per-entity pages answer the absolute question.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.