Maryland Childcare Cost Rankings
Maryland counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Howard County at $414/wk, and the most affordable is Wicomico County at $209/wk.
Across 24 Maryland counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $254 ($13,231 per year). That puts Maryland 47% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Howard County runs $414/wk while Wicomico County runs just $209/wk, a 99% 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 Maryland, 18 of 24 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. 4 Maryland 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 Maryland county is Allegany County at 22.4% 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
Howard County, MD
Median income $140,971
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Maryland at $414/wk ($21,533/yr). Family-based daycare runs $288/wk, about 31% cheaper. Childcare burden of 15.3% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Montgomery County, MD
Median income $125,583
Second-most expensive at $414/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $288/wk ($14,957/yr).
Baltimore County, MD
Median income $88,157
Third-most expensive at $345/wk. Preschool center care drops to $256/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Howard County | $414 | $21,533 | 15.3% High |
| #2 | Montgomery County | $414 | $21,533 | 17.1% High |
| #3 | Baltimore County | $345 | $17,955 | 20.4% Severe |
| #4 | Anne Arundel County | $327 | $17,024 | 14.7% Moderate |
| #5 | Prince George's County | $327 | $17,024 | 17.4% High |
| #6 | Frederick County | $325 | $16,897 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #7 | Harford County | $325 | $16,897 | 15.9% High |
| #8 | Calvert County | $323 | $16,816 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #9 | Carroll County | $323 | $16,816 | 15.1% High |
| #10 | Charles County | $323 | $16,816 | 14.4% Moderate |
| #11 | Cecil County | $254 | $13,231 | 15.2% High |
| #12 | Queen Anne's County | $254 | $13,231 | 12.2% Moderate |
| #13 | St. Mary's County | $254 | $13,231 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #14 | Talbot County | $254 | $13,231 | 16.2% High |
| #15 | Washington County | $254 | $13,231 | 18.1% High |
| #16 | Baltimore City | $250 | $13,001 | 22.3% Severe |
| #17 | Garrett County | $247 | $12,838 | 19.9% High |
| #18 | Allegany County | $238 | $12,369 | 22.4% Severe |
| #19 | Worcester County | $238 | $12,369 | 16.1% High |
| #20 | Caroline County | $217 | $11,280 | 17.3% High |
| #21 | Kent County | $217 | $11,280 | 15.7% High |
| #22 | Dorchester County | $209 | $10,848 | 18.9% High |
| #23 | Somerset County | $209 | $10,848 | 20.8% Severe |
| #24 | Wicomico County | $209 | $10,848 | 15.6% High |
Maryland Childcare Cost FAQ
Howard County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Maryland at $414/wk ($21,533 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 15.3% of median household income ($140,971).
Wicomico County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Maryland at $209/wk ($10,848 per year). Across the 24 Maryland counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 99%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Maryland is $254. The U.S. national median is $174, so Maryland runs 47% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Maryland family pays $13,231 per year for infant center daycare.
18 of 24 Maryland 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. 4 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.