Des Moines County, IA
Infant daycare in Des Moines County, IA costs $163 per week ($8,483 per year) for center-based care, and $110 per week for family daycare. With a median household income of $58,084, the childcare burden is 14.6% of income. This is below the national median of $174/wk.
Cost Breakdown by Age Group
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | Family/Wk | Family/Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $163 | $8,483 | $110 | $5,725 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $141 | $7,310 | $108 | $5,631 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $141 | $7,310 | $108 | $5,631 |
| School-Age (6+) | $112 | $5,848 | $105 | $5,443 |
Des Moines County Childcare FAQ
Center-based infant care in Des Moines County costs $163 per week ($8,483 per year). Family-based infant care costs $110 per week ($5,725 per year). Data from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.
The Childcare Burden Index for Des Moines County is 14.6%, rated "Moderate". This means a family earning the median income of $58,084 would spend about 14.6% of their income on infant center-based childcare.
The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174. Des Moines County at $163/wk is 6% below the national median. Annualized, infant center care in Des Moines County costs $8,483 per year.
In Des Moines County, IA, the most affordable option is typically family-based (home) daycare. Infant family daycare costs $110/wk compared to $163/wk for center-based. For preschool-age children, family daycare is $108/wk vs $141/wk at a center. School-age after-care is the least expensive category at $105/wk (family) or $112/wk (center).
Read the Iowa guide
Statewide cost trends, subsidies, tax credits, daycare alternatives, and how to afford daycare in Iowa.
Daycare Cost in Iowa 2026: A Complete Guide for Parents →More Counties in IA
Childcare costs are weekly median prices from the DOL. Burden Index = annual infant center care / median household income.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. childcare prices dataset. The detail above comes directly from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. counties.
Every number on this page links back to the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. counties with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.