ChildcareCost

Our Methodology

ChildcareCost tracks the real price of childcare across every county in the United States. We use federal data to show what families actually pay for daycare centers, family daycare, and preschool, and how that cost compares to household income. Here is exactly how we do it.

Data Source

Our primary data source is the National Database of Childcare Prices, published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau on data.gov. This is the most comprehensive federal dataset on childcare pricing, covering center-based and family-based childcare costs by county for four age groups: infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age.

The DOL compiles this data from state-level Market Rate Surveys, which are required by the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program. These surveys collect actual prices charged by licensed childcare providers in each county.

We supplement childcare pricing with median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to calculate affordability metrics.

How We Calculate the Childcare Burden Index

The Childcare Burden Index measures how much of a household's income goes to childcare. It is calculated as:

Burden Index = (Annual Childcare Cost / Median Household Income) x 100

We use the median center-based infant care cost as the default, since infant care is typically the most expensive age group and center-based care is the most common arrangement for working families.

  • Under 10%, Affordable. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers childcare affordable when it costs no more than 7% of household income.
  • 10-15%, Moderate burden. Childcare is a significant but manageable expense.
  • 15-20%, High burden. Families are likely making trade-offs in other spending categories.
  • Over 20%, Severe burden. Childcare costs may force one parent out of the workforce.

Care Types and Age Groups

We track pricing for two care settings and four age groups:

  • Center-based care, Licensed daycare centers and preschool programs with multiple staff and structured environments.
  • Family-based care, Licensed home-based childcare providers, typically smaller groups in a residential setting.

Age groups follow the DOL definitions: infant (0-12 months), toddler (12-30 months), preschool (30 months to 5 years), and school-age (5-12 years, before/after school care).

Data Collection Process

We download the National Database of Childcare Prices CSV from data.gov and parse county-level records. Each record includes median weekly prices for each combination of care type and age group. We annualize weekly prices (multiply by 52) for annual cost comparisons.

County identifiers (FIPS codes) are used to join childcare pricing with Census ACS income data. State-level statistics are aggregated from county records: median cost, number of counties, and statewide burden index.

Update Frequency

The DOL publishes updated childcare pricing data annually. We process and publish updates within one month of each release.

Known Limitations

  • Market Rate Surveys capture prices at licensed providers only, informal (unlicensed) care arrangements are not included.
  • Prices reflect the median rate in each county, not the full range. High-end and subsidized programs may differ significantly.
  • Some rural counties have limited provider data, which may affect reliability of median estimates.
  • The Burden Index uses median household income, which may not reflect the income of families who actually use childcare (typically dual-earner households).
  • Prices do not account for subsidies, employer benefits, or tax credits that reduce out-of-pocket costs for some families.

How to Cite This Data

If you use data from ChildcareCost, please cite:

ChildcareCost. "[County Name] Childcare Pricing Data." DOMAIN_TBD, 2026. Accessed [date].

Underlying data is sourced from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices and is in the public domain.