Howard County, MD
Infant daycare in Howard County, MD costs $414 per week ($21,533 per year) for center-based care, and $288 per week for family daycare. With a median household income of $140,971, the childcare burden is 15.3% of income, well above the 7% threshold HUD considers affordable. This is above the national median of $174/wk.
Cost Breakdown by Age Group
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | Family/Wk | Family/Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $414 | $21,533 | $288 | $14,957 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $336 | $17,457 | $271 | $14,097 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $336 | $17,457 | $271 | $14,097 |
| School-Age (6+) | $303 | $15,739 | $252 | $13,085 |
Howard County Childcare FAQ
Center-based infant care in Howard County costs $414 per week ($21,533 per year). Family-based infant care costs $288 per week ($14,957 per year). Data from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.
The Childcare Burden Index for Howard County is 15.3%, rated "High". This means a family earning the median income of $140,971 would spend about 15.3% of their income on infant center-based childcare.
The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174. Howard County at $414/wk is 139% above the national median. Annualized, infant center care in Howard County costs $21,533 per year.
In Howard County, MD, the most affordable option is typically family-based (home) daycare. Infant family daycare costs $288/wk compared to $414/wk for center-based. For preschool-age children, family daycare is $271/wk vs $336/wk at a center. School-age after-care is the least expensive category at $252/wk (family) or $303/wk (center).
Read the Maryland guide
Statewide cost trends, subsidies, tax credits, daycare alternatives, and how to afford daycare in Maryland.
Daycare Cost in Maryland 2026: A Complete Guide for Parents →More Counties in MD
Childcare costs are weekly median prices from the DOL. Burden Index = annual infant center care / median household income.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
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.