Minnesota Childcare Cost Rankings

Stearns County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Minnesota at $431/wk ($22,395 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 30.6% of median household income ($73,105).

Murray County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Minnesota at $167/wk ($8,684 per year). Across the 87 Minnesota counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 158%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Minnesota is $211. The U.S. national median is $174, so Minnesota runs 22% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Minnesota family pays $10,972 per year for infant center daycare.

52 of 87 Minnesota counties (60%) 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. 9 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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.