Florida Childcare Cost Rankings
Florida counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Palm Beach County at $305/wk, and the most affordable is Suwannee County at $130/wk.
Across 53 Florida counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $200 ($10,400 per year). That puts Florida 15% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Palm Beach County runs $305/wk while Suwannee County runs just $130/wk, a 135% 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 Florida, 39 of 53 ranked counties (74%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 5 Florida 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 Florida county is Calhoun County 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.
Top 3 Most Expensive Counties
Palm Beach County, FL
Median income $76,066
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Florida at $305/wk ($15,860/yr). Family-based daycare runs $200/wk, about 34% cheaper. Childcare burden of 20.9% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Pinellas County, FL
Median income $66,406
Second-most expensive at $300/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $245/wk ($12,740/yr).
St. Johns County, FL
Median income $100,020
Third-most expensive at $280/wk. Preschool center care drops to $235/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Palm Beach County | $305 | $15,860 | 20.9% Severe |
| #2 | Pinellas County | $300 | $15,600 | 23.5% Severe |
| #3 | St. Johns County | $280 | $14,560 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #4 | Alachua County | $250 | $13,000 | 22.6% Severe |
| #5 | Seminole County | $249 | $12,948 | 16.3% High |
| #6 | Hillsborough County | $240 | $12,480 | 17.7% High |
| #7 | Martin County | $240 | $12,480 | 16.0% High |
| #8 | St. Lucie County | $235 | $12,220 | 18.5% High |
| #9 | Santa Rosa County | $235 | $12,220 | 14.4% Moderate |
| #10 | Broward County | $233 | $12,116 | 17.2% High |
| #11 | Polk County | $230 | $11,960 | 19.6% High |
| #12 | Collier County | $225 | $11,708 | 14.3% Moderate |
| #13 | Duval County | $225 | $11,700 | 17.8% High |
| #14 | Okaloosa County | $225 | $11,700 | 15.8% High |
| #15 | Orange County | $225 | $11,700 | 16.1% High |
| #16 | Pasco County | $225 | $11,700 | 18.5% High |
| #17 | Sumter County | $225 | $11,700 | 16.7% High |
| #18 | Flagler County | $220 | $11,440 | 16.5% High |
| #19 | Manatee County | $220 | $11,440 | 16.0% High |
| #20 | Bay County | $215 | $11,180 | 16.9% High |
| #21 | Sarasota County | $210 | $10,920 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #22 | Osceola County | $203 | $10,556 | 16.4% High |
| #23 | Brevard County | $200 | $10,400 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #24 | Calhoun County | $200 | $10,400 | 25.0% Severe |
| #25 | Clay County | $200 | $10,400 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #26 | Jackson County | $200 | $10,400 | 22.5% Severe |
| #27 | Lake County | $200 | $10,400 | 15.7% High |
| #28 | Lee County | $200 | $10,400 | 15.0% High |
| #29 | Miami-Dade County | $200 | $10,400 | 16.2% High |
| #30 | Monroe County | $200 | $10,400 | 13.0% Moderate |
| #31 | Volusia County | $200 | $10,400 | 16.5% High |
| #32 | Walton County | $200 | $10,400 | 13.9% Moderate |
| #33 | Charlotte County | $199 | $10,348 | 16.6% High |
| #34 | Nassau County | $190 | $9,880 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #35 | Escambia County | $185 | $9,620 | 15.6% High |
| #36 | Indian River County | $185 | $9,620 | 14.2% Moderate |
| #37 | Marion County | $185 | $9,620 | 17.4% High |
| #38 | Leon County | $180 | $9,360 | 15.3% High |
| #39 | Bradford County | $175 | $9,100 | 16.6% High |
| #40 | Citrus County | $175 | $9,100 | 17.3% High |
| #41 | Hendry County | $175 | $9,100 | 18.5% High |
| #42 | Levy County | $175 | $9,100 | 18.2% High |
| #43 | Wakulla County | $173 | $9,006 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #44 | Highlands County | $170 | $8,840 | 16.5% High |
| #45 | Hernando County | $165 | $8,580 | 14.5% Moderate |
| #46 | Putnam County | $157 | $8,167 | 18.2% High |
| #47 | Columbia County | $156 | $8,112 | 15.2% High |
| #48 | Hardee County | $150 | $7,800 | 17.5% High |
| #49 | Jefferson County | $150 | $7,800 | 15.1% High |
| #50 | Baker County | $140 | $7,280 | 10.7% Moderate |
| #51 | Madison County | $140 | $7,280 | 16.8% High |
| #52 | Gadsden County | $138 | $7,150 | 15.6% High |
| #53 | Suwannee County | $130 | $6,760 | 13.6% Moderate |
14 Counties Without Data
The DOL has not published market rate survey data for these counties.
Florida Childcare Cost FAQ
Palm Beach County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Florida at $305/wk ($15,860 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 20.9% of median household income ($76,066).
Suwannee County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Florida at $130/wk ($6,760 per year). Across the 53 Florida counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 135%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Florida is $200. The U.S. national median is $174, so Florida runs 15% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Florida family pays $10,400 per year for infant center daycare.
39 of 53 Florida counties (74%) 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. 5 Florida 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 Florida 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.