Maine Childcare Cost Rankings
Maine counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is York County at $262/wk, and the most affordable is Oxford County at $175/wk.
Across 16 Maine counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $225 ($11,700 per year). That puts Maine 30% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — York County runs $262/wk while Oxford County runs just $175/wk, a 50% 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 Maine, 14 of 16 ranked counties (88%) 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 Maine 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 Maine county is Washington County at 23.0% 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
York County, ME
Median income $79,743
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Maine at $262/wk ($13,607/yr). Family-based daycare runs $206/wk, about 21% cheaper. Childcare burden of 17.1% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Penobscot County, ME
Median income $59,438
Second-most expensive at $256/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $183/wk ($9,533/yr).
Cumberland County, ME
Median income $87,710
Third-most expensive at $252/wk. Preschool center care drops to $261/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | York County | $262 | $13,607 | 17.1% High |
| #2 | Penobscot County | $256 | $13,295 | 22.4% Severe |
| #3 | Cumberland County | $252 | $13,087 | 14.9% Moderate |
| #4 | Kennebec County | $230 | $11,960 | 19.3% High |
| #5 | Hancock County | $229 | $11,908 | 18.6% High |
| #6 | Washington County | $229 | $11,908 | 23.0% Severe |
| #7 | Knox County | $225 | $11,700 | 17.0% High |
| #8 | Waldo County | $225 | $11,700 | 18.7% High |
| #9 | Androscoggin County | $224 | $11,664 | 18.1% High |
| #10 | Lincoln County | $212 | $11,007 | 15.8% High |
| #11 | Sagadahoc County | $212 | $11,007 | 14.2% Moderate |
| #12 | Aroostook County | $193 | $10,053 | 19.8% High |
| #13 | Piscataquis County | $193 | $10,053 | 19.4% High |
| #14 | Somerset County | $193 | $10,053 | 18.8% High |
| #15 | Franklin County | $175 | $9,100 | 16.0% High |
| #16 | Oxford County | $175 | $9,100 | 16.6% High |
Maine Childcare Cost FAQ
York County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Maine at $262/wk ($13,607 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 17.1% of median household income ($79,743).
Oxford County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Maine at $175/wk ($9,100 per year). Across the 16 Maine counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 50%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Maine is $225. The U.S. national median is $174, so Maine runs 30% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Maine family pays $11,700 per year for infant center daycare.
14 of 16 Maine counties (88%) 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 Maine 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 Maine 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.