Alaska Childcare Cost Rankings
Alaska counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Sitka City and Borough at $469/wk, and the most affordable is Kenai Peninsula Borough at $155/wk.
Across 8 Alaska counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $312 ($16,223 per year). That puts Alaska 80% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Sitka City and Borough runs $469/wk while Kenai Peninsula Borough runs just $155/wk, a 203% gap between most and least expensive county.
The Childcare Burden Index measures annual infant center cost as a share of local median household income. Across Alaska, 6 of 8 ranked counties (75%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 2 Alaska counties are classified as "Severe" (burden ≥ 20%). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats childcare as affordable only when it costs no more than 7% of household income. The single highest-burden Alaska county is Sitka City and Borough at 25.6% of median income.
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (2022), with median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS. The DOL collects pricing through state-level market rate surveys conducted under the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program — these are the same numbers state agencies use to set childcare subsidy reimbursement rates.
Top 3 Most Expensive Counties
Sitka City and Borough, AK
Median income $95,261
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Alaska at $469/wk ($24,413/yr). Childcare burden of 25.6% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK
Median income $81,655
Second-most expensive at $395/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $316/wk ($16,424/yr).
Anchorage Municipality, AK
Median income $95,731
Third-most expensive at $362/wk. Preschool center care drops to $290/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sitka City and Borough | $469 | $24,413 | 25.6% Severe |
| #2 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | $395 | $20,551 | 25.2% Severe |
| #3 | Anchorage Municipality | $362 | $18,819 | 19.7% High |
| #4 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | $312 | $16,223 | 19.6% High |
| #5 | Kodiak Island Borough | $281 | $14,604 | 16.0% High |
| #6 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | $249 | $12,957 | 15.0% High |
| #7 | Juneau City and Borough | $227 | $11,787 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #8 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | $155 | $8,052 | 10.6% Moderate |
24 Counties Without Data
The DOL has not published market rate survey data for these counties.
Alaska Childcare Cost FAQ
Sitka City and Borough is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Alaska at $469/wk ($24,413 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 25.6% of median household income ($95,261).
Kenai Peninsula Borough has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Alaska at $155/wk ($8,052 per year). Across the 8 Alaska counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 203%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Alaska is $312. The U.S. national median is $174, so Alaska runs 80% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Alaska family pays $16,223 per year for infant center daycare.
6 of 8 Alaska counties (75%) have a Childcare Burden Index of 15% or higher — meaning a family earning the local median income would spend at least 15% of gross income on infant center daycare. 2 Alaska counties are classified as "Severe" (burden ≥ 20%). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats childcare as affordable when it costs no more than 7% of household income.
Family-based (home) daycare is typically 20-30% cheaper than center-based care across the country, and Alaska follows the same pattern. Each county page shows the exact infant family vs. infant center weekly rate, plus toddler, preschool, and school-age figures for both setting types. School-age care is usually the cheapest category, since school-age children only need before- and after-school coverage rather than full days.
The this entity category groups every U.S. childcare prices entity sharing this attribute. The list above is the data; the paragraphs below explain what the grouping means against the broader the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices distribution and how to read the relative rankings within the category.
For readers using this category as a starting point, the per-entity detail pages linked from the table above carry the underlying the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices data in full. The category-level view is the filter; the per-entity pages are the actual answer.