Michigan Childcare Cost Rankings
Michigan counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Washtenaw County at $228/wk, and the most affordable is Tuscola County at $107/wk.
Across 83 Michigan counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $136 ($7,052 per year). That puts Michigan 22% below the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Washtenaw County runs $228/wk while Tuscola County runs just $107/wk, a 114% 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 Michigan, 8 of 83 ranked counties (10%) 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 Michigan county is Gogebic County at 19.7% 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
Washtenaw County, MI
Median income $84,245
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Michigan at $228/wk ($11,866/yr).
Livingston County, MI
Median income $96,135
Second-most expensive at $217/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $222/wk ($11,565/yr).
Oakland County, MI
Median income $92,620
Third-most expensive at $196/wk. Preschool center care drops to $177/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Washtenaw County | $228 | $11,866 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #2 | Livingston County | $217 | $11,269 | 11.7% Moderate |
| #3 | Oakland County | $196 | $10,211 | 11.0% Moderate |
| #4 | Gogebic County | $182 | $9,443 | 19.7% High |
| #5 | Macomb County | $179 | $9,303 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #6 | Baraga County | $178 | $9,261 | 17.8% High |
| #7 | Iron County | $178 | $9,261 | 17.7% High |
| #8 | Ontonagon County | $178 | $9,261 | 19.2% High |
| #9 | Wayne County | $177 | $9,214 | 16.1% High |
| #10 | Kent County | $173 | $9,006 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #11 | Bay County | $170 | $8,836 | 15.3% High |
| #12 | Ingham County | $169 | $8,778 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #13 | Ottawa County | $164 | $8,549 | 10.2% Moderate |
| #14 | Lake County | $163 | $8,496 | 18.5% High |
| #15 | St. Clair County | $162 | $8,441 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #16 | Manistee County | $162 | $8,427 | 14.2% Moderate |
| #17 | Grand Traverse County | $160 | $8,320 | 11.0% Moderate |
| #18 | Kalamazoo County | $160 | $8,320 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #19 | Leelanau County | $160 | $8,320 | 10.1% Moderate |
| #20 | Keweenaw County | $159 | $8,289 | 14.9% Moderate |
| #21 | Shiawassee County | $159 | $8,288 | 13.3% Moderate |
| #22 | Dickinson County | $157 | $8,145 | 13.7% Moderate |
| #23 | Clinton County | $156 | $8,091 | 9.8% Affordable |
| #24 | Eaton County | $156 | $8,091 | 10.5% Moderate |
| #25 | Genesee County | $152 | $7,919 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #26 | Saginaw County | $151 | $7,863 | 13.9% Moderate |
| #27 | Barry County | $150 | $7,800 | 10.4% Moderate |
| #28 | Oceana County | $149 | $7,763 | 12.8% Moderate |
| #29 | Newaygo County | $148 | $7,707 | 13.0% Moderate |
| #30 | Menominee County | $147 | $7,665 | 14.2% Moderate |
| #31 | Isabella County | $147 | $7,634 | 14.5% Moderate |
| #32 | Houghton County | $146 | $7,607 | 14.4% Moderate |
| #33 | Mason County | $146 | $7,570 | 12.5% Moderate |
| #34 | Lapeer County | $145 | $7,519 | 10.0% Moderate |
| #35 | Delta County | $144 | $7,470 | 13.9% Moderate |
| #36 | Marquette County | $143 | $7,417 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #37 | Gratiot County | $142 | $7,371 | 12.7% Moderate |
| #38 | Clare County | $139 | $7,230 | 15.1% High |
| #39 | Schoolcraft County | $139 | $7,230 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #40 | Monroe County | $138 | $7,159 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #41 | Berrien County | $137 | $7,131 | 11.8% Moderate |
| #42 | Alger County | $136 | $7,052 | 12.7% Moderate |
| #43 | Mackinac County | $135 | $7,007 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #44 | Arenac County | $135 | $7,001 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #45 | Calhoun County | $134 | $6,985 | 12.0% Moderate |
| #46 | Antrim County | $133 | $6,926 | 10.1% Moderate |
| #47 | Cass County | $133 | $6,926 | 10.6% Moderate |
| #48 | Charlevoix County | $133 | $6,926 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #49 | Emmet County | $133 | $6,926 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #50 | Ionia County | $133 | $6,926 | 9.7% Affordable |
| #51 | Kalkaska County | $133 | $6,926 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #52 | Missaukee County | $133 | $6,926 | 12.0% Moderate |
| #53 | Montcalm County | $133 | $6,926 | 11.3% Moderate |
| #54 | Van Buren County | $133 | $6,926 | 10.6% Moderate |
| #55 | Benzie County | $133 | $6,906 | 9.7% Affordable |
| #56 | Midland County | $133 | $6,892 | 9.4% Affordable |
| #57 | Iosco County | $132 | $6,880 | 14.9% Moderate |
| #58 | Gladwin County | $132 | $6,858 | 12.8% Moderate |
| #59 | Chippewa County | $130 | $6,759 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #60 | Branch County | $129 | $6,698 | 11.1% Moderate |
| #61 | St. Joseph County | $129 | $6,698 | 10.8% Moderate |
| #62 | Roscommon County | $127 | $6,610 | 13.2% Moderate |
| #63 | Luce County | $127 | $6,581 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #64 | Alcona County | $124 | $6,469 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #65 | Cheboygan County | $124 | $6,469 | 10.9% Moderate |
| #66 | Crawford County | $124 | $6,469 | 11.2% Moderate |
| #67 | Hillsdale County | $124 | $6,469 | 10.9% Moderate |
| #68 | Lenawee County | $124 | $6,469 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #69 | Montmorency County | $124 | $6,469 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #70 | Oscoda County | $124 | $6,469 | 13.3% Moderate |
| #71 | Otsego County | $124 | $6,469 | 10.3% Moderate |
| #72 | Allegan County | $124 | $6,427 | 8.5% Affordable |
| #73 | Ogemaw County | $122 | $6,364 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #74 | Muskegon County | $121 | $6,296 | 10.3% Moderate |
| #75 | Huron County | $119 | $6,174 | 11.3% Moderate |
| #76 | Osceola County | $116 | $6,055 | 11.0% Moderate |
| #77 | Jackson County | $115 | $5,985 | 9.6% Affordable |
| #78 | Sanilac County | $111 | $5,792 | 10.4% Moderate |
| #79 | Mecosta County | $111 | $5,781 | 10.7% Moderate |
| #80 | Alpena County | $111 | $5,766 | 11.7% Moderate |
| #81 | Wexford County | $108 | $5,632 | 9.6% Affordable |
| #82 | Presque Isle County | $107 | $5,558 | 9.9% Affordable |
| #83 | Tuscola County | $107 | $5,545 | 9.3% Affordable |
Michigan Childcare Cost FAQ
Washtenaw County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Michigan at $228/wk ($11,866 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 14.1% of median household income ($84,245).
Tuscola County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Michigan at $107/wk ($5,545 per year). Across the 83 Michigan counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 114%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Michigan is $136. The U.S. national median is $174, so Michigan runs 22% below the national median. Annualized, the typical Michigan family pays $7,052 per year for infant center daycare.
8 of 83 Michigan counties (10%) 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 Michigan 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 Michigan 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.