Dallas County, IA vs Polk County, IA
Side-by-side childcare cost comparison. Infant center care costs $185/wk in Dallas County and $177/wk in Polk County.
| Metric | Dallas County, IA | Polk County, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Center (wk) | $185 | $177 |
| Infant Family (wk) | $125 | $119 |
| Toddler Center (wk) | $160 | $153 |
| Toddler Family (wk) | $123 | $117 |
| Preschool Center (wk) | $160 | $153 |
| Preschool Family (wk) | $123 | $117 |
| School-Age Center (wk) | $128 | $122 |
| School-Age Family (wk) | $119 | $113 |
| Median Income | $99,533 | $78,827 |
| Burden Index | 9.7% | 11.7% |
Annual Cost Comparison (Infant Center)
Dallas County
$9,642/yr
Polk County
$9,220/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.