Iowa Childcare Cost Rankings
Iowa counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Dallas County at $185/wk, and the most affordable is Floyd County at $148/wk.
Across 99 Iowa counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $160 ($8,302 per year). That puts Iowa 8% below the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Dallas County runs $185/wk while Floyd County runs just $148/wk, a 25% 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 Iowa, 5 of 99 ranked counties (5%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 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 Iowa county is Jefferson County at 15.9% 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
Dallas County, IA
Median income $99,533
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Iowa at $185/wk ($9,642/yr). Family-based daycare runs $125/wk, about 33% cheaper.
Polk County, IA
Median income $78,827
Second-most expensive at $177/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $119/wk ($6,193/yr).
Johnson County, IA
Median income $72,977
Third-most expensive at $177/wk. Preschool center care drops to $152/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dallas County | $185 | $9,642 | 9.7% Affordable |
| #2 | Polk County | $177 | $9,220 | 11.7% Moderate |
| #3 | Johnson County | $177 | $9,183 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #4 | Story County | $170 | $8,858 | 13.4% Moderate |
| #5 | Warren County | $169 | $8,804 | 9.8% Affordable |
| #6 | Madison County | $169 | $8,763 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #7 | Pottawattamie County | $168 | $8,758 | 12.7% Moderate |
| #8 | Scott County | $168 | $8,750 | 12.0% Moderate |
| #9 | Black Hawk County | $168 | $8,747 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #10 | Davis County | $167 | $8,692 | 11.3% Moderate |
| #11 | Muscatine County | $167 | $8,691 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #12 | Cedar County | $167 | $8,675 | 11.3% Moderate |
| #13 | Dubuque County | $166 | $8,640 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #14 | Harrison County | $166 | $8,634 | 11.4% Moderate |
| #15 | Linn County | $166 | $8,631 | 11.4% Moderate |
| #16 | Tama County | $166 | $8,623 | 13.2% Moderate |
| #17 | Woodbury County | $166 | $8,623 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #18 | Dickinson County | $165 | $8,605 | 11.9% Moderate |
| #19 | Wapello County | $165 | $8,560 | 15.2% High |
| #20 | Guthrie County | $164 | $8,534 | 11.3% Moderate |
| #21 | Shelby County | $164 | $8,524 | 12.1% Moderate |
| #22 | Lyon County | $163 | $8,486 | 11.5% Moderate |
| #23 | Adams County | $163 | $8,484 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #24 | Des Moines County | $163 | $8,483 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #25 | Hancock County | $163 | $8,481 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #26 | Benton County | $163 | $8,479 | 10.7% Moderate |
| #27 | Boone County | $163 | $8,462 | 11.2% Moderate |
| #28 | Mills County | $163 | $8,459 | 10.3% Moderate |
| #29 | Marion County | $162 | $8,434 | 11.4% Moderate |
| #30 | Washington County | $162 | $8,433 | 11.9% Moderate |
| #31 | Fayette County | $162 | $8,425 | 15.0% High |
| #32 | Grundy County | $162 | $8,406 | 10.4% Moderate |
| #33 | Poweshiek County | $161 | $8,396 | 13.7% Moderate |
| #34 | Louisa County | $161 | $8,388 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #35 | Chickasaw County | $161 | $8,382 | 11.5% Moderate |
| #36 | Marshall County | $161 | $8,379 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #37 | Monona County | $161 | $8,379 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #38 | Hardin County | $161 | $8,370 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #39 | Plymouth County | $161 | $8,367 | 10.5% Moderate |
| #40 | Butler County | $161 | $8,365 | 12.7% Moderate |
| #41 | Hamilton County | $161 | $8,356 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #42 | Delaware County | $161 | $8,353 | 11.0% Moderate |
| #43 | Iowa County | $160 | $8,328 | 11.9% Moderate |
| #44 | Keokuk County | $160 | $8,325 | 13.9% Moderate |
| #45 | Jefferson County | $160 | $8,322 | 15.9% High |
| #46 | Greene County | $160 | $8,310 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #47 | Sioux County | $160 | $8,309 | 10.1% Moderate |
| #48 | Clayton County | $160 | $8,308 | 13.7% Moderate |
| #49 | Jasper County | $160 | $8,304 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #50 | Pocahontas County | $160 | $8,302 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #51 | Kossuth County | $160 | $8,301 | 13.3% Moderate |
| #52 | Cerro Gordo County | $159 | $8,285 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #53 | Bremer County | $159 | $8,283 | 9.8% Affordable |
| #54 | Audubon County | $159 | $8,274 | 15.1% High |
| #55 | Adair County | $159 | $8,271 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #56 | Osceola County | $159 | $8,269 | 12.2% Moderate |
| #57 | Allamakee County | $159 | $8,267 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #58 | Buchanan County | $159 | $8,252 | 11.2% Moderate |
| #59 | Fremont County | $159 | $8,251 | 11.9% Moderate |
| #60 | Clinton County | $158 | $8,223 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #61 | Ringgold County | $158 | $8,213 | 12.1% Moderate |
| #62 | Calhoun County | $158 | $8,194 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #63 | Buena Vista County | $157 | $8,186 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #64 | Worth County | $157 | $8,176 | 11.7% Moderate |
| #65 | Mahaska County | $157 | $8,171 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #66 | Lee County | $157 | $8,170 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #67 | Lucas County | $157 | $8,164 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #68 | Winneshiek County | $157 | $8,151 | 12.0% Moderate |
| #69 | Clay County | $156 | $8,092 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #70 | Webster County | $156 | $8,091 | 12.4% Moderate |
| #71 | Appanoose County | $155 | $8,062 | 15.9% High |
| #72 | Monroe County | $155 | $8,061 | 10.6% Moderate |
| #73 | Van Buren County | $155 | $8,050 | 13.8% Moderate |
| #74 | Page County | $155 | $8,046 | 13.8% Moderate |
| #75 | Jackson County | $155 | $8,043 | 11.5% Moderate |
| #76 | Crawford County | $154 | $8,027 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #77 | Ida County | $154 | $8,022 | 12.7% Moderate |
| #78 | Henry County | $154 | $8,016 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #79 | Emmet County | $154 | $8,015 | 12.4% Moderate |
| #80 | Wright County | $154 | $8,012 | 13.8% Moderate |
| #81 | Mitchell County | $154 | $8,009 | 12.1% Moderate |
| #82 | Taylor County | $154 | $8,001 | 12.1% Moderate |
| #83 | Montgomery County | $154 | $7,983 | 13.0% Moderate |
| #84 | Sac County | $153 | $7,968 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #85 | Howard County | $153 | $7,963 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #86 | Franklin County | $153 | $7,953 | 12.8% Moderate |
| #87 | Carroll County | $153 | $7,946 | 11.7% Moderate |
| #88 | Union County | $153 | $7,945 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #89 | Wayne County | $153 | $7,939 | 13.6% Moderate |
| #90 | Clarke County | $153 | $7,938 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #91 | Jones County | $153 | $7,936 | 11.5% Moderate |
| #92 | Cass County | $152 | $7,922 | 13.0% Moderate |
| #93 | O'Brien County | $152 | $7,914 | 12.2% Moderate |
| #94 | Decatur County | $152 | $7,911 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #95 | Winnebago County | $151 | $7,836 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #96 | Humboldt County | $151 | $7,830 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #97 | Cherokee County | $150 | $7,796 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #98 | Palo Alto County | $149 | $7,736 | 11.5% Moderate |
| #99 | Floyd County | $148 | $7,703 | 12.4% Moderate |
Iowa Childcare Cost FAQ
Dallas County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Iowa at $185/wk ($9,642 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 9.7% of median household income ($99,533).
Floyd County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Iowa at $148/wk ($7,703 per year). Across the 99 Iowa counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 25%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Iowa is $160. The U.S. national median is $174, so Iowa runs 8% below the national median. Annualized, the typical Iowa family pays $8,302 per year for infant center daycare.
5 of 99 Iowa counties (5%) 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. 0 Iowa 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 Iowa 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.