District of Columbia Childcare Cost Rankings
District of Columbia counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable.
Across 1 District of Columbia county with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $490 ($25,480 per year). That puts District of Columbia 182% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index measures annual infant center cost as a share of local median household income. Across District of Columbia, 1 of 1 ranked counties (100%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 1 District of Columbia county is 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 District of Columbia county is District of Columbia at 25.0% 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.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | District of Columbia | $490 | $25,480 | 25.0% Severe |
District of Columbia Childcare Cost FAQ
District of Columbia is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in District of Columbia at $490/wk ($25,480 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 25.0% of median household income ($101,722).
District of Columbia has the lowest infant center daycare cost in District of Columbia at $490/wk ($25,480 per year). Across the 1 District of Columbia county with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 0%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in District of Columbia is $490. The U.S. national median is $174, so District of Columbia runs 182% above the national median. Annualized, the typical District of Columbia family pays $25,480 per year for infant center daycare.
1 of 1 District of Columbia counties (100%) 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. 1 District of Columbia county is 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 District of Columbia 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.