San Mateo County, CA vs Santa Barbara County, CA
Side-by-side childcare cost comparison. Infant center care costs $555/wk in San Mateo County and $453/wk in Santa Barbara County.
| Metric | San Mateo County, CA | Santa Barbara County, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Center (wk) | $555 | $453 |
| Infant Family (wk) | $375 | $363 |
| Toddler Center (wk) | $397 | $309 |
| Toddler Family (wk) | $357 | $305 |
| Preschool Center (wk) | $437 | $242 |
| Preschool Family (wk) | $396 | $286 |
| School-Age Center (wk) | $439 | $115 |
| School-Age Family (wk) | $363 | $207 |
| Median Income | $149,907 | $92,332 |
| Burden Index | 19.2% | 25.5% |
Annual Cost Comparison (Infant Center)
San Mateo County
$28,837/yr
Santa Barbara County
$23,532/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.