Montana Childcare Cost Rankings
Montana counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Treasure County at $254/wk, and the most affordable is Daniels County at $197/wk.
Across 56 Montana counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $218 ($11,347 per year). That puts Montana 26% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Treasure County runs $254/wk while Daniels County runs just $197/wk, a 29% 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 Montana, 54 of 56 ranked counties (96%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 21 Montana 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 Montana county is Prairie County at 26.4% 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
Treasure County, MT
Median income $70,096
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Montana at $254/wk ($13,216/yr). Family-based daycare runs $200/wk, about 22% cheaper. Childcare burden of 18.9% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Wibaux County, MT
Median income $58,750
Second-most expensive at $246/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $194/wk ($10,070/yr).
Teton County, MT
Median income $65,224
Third-most expensive at $241/wk. Preschool center care drops to $215/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Treasure County | $254 | $13,216 | 18.9% High |
| #2 | Wibaux County | $246 | $12,807 | 21.8% Severe |
| #3 | Teton County | $241 | $12,515 | 19.2% High |
| #4 | Custer County | $239 | $12,427 | 20.3% Severe |
| #5 | Musselshell County | $238 | $12,373 | 22.5% Severe |
| #6 | Gallatin County | $237 | $12,340 | 14.8% Moderate |
| #7 | Madison County | $236 | $12,264 | 20.0% Severe |
| #8 | Fallon County | $235 | $12,203 | 15.3% High |
| #9 | Stillwater County | $235 | $12,202 | 15.6% High |
| #10 | Sheridan County | $231 | $12,003 | 17.8% High |
| #11 | Powder River County | $229 | $11,923 | 19.8% High |
| #12 | Jefferson County | $229 | $11,893 | 16.1% High |
| #13 | Yellowstone County | $227 | $11,788 | 16.3% High |
| #14 | Lake County | $226 | $11,733 | 20.2% Severe |
| #15 | Dawson County | $226 | $11,728 | 17.2% High |
| #16 | Ravalli County | $225 | $11,716 | 17.4% High |
| #17 | Lincoln County | $224 | $11,651 | 26.1% Severe |
| #18 | Prairie County | $224 | $11,646 | 26.4% Severe |
| #19 | Golden Valley County | $223 | $11,617 | 21.2% Severe |
| #20 | Flathead County | $222 | $11,547 | 17.0% High |
| #21 | Wheatland County | $221 | $11,495 | 23.8% Severe |
| #22 | Broadwater County | $221 | $11,482 | 18.6% High |
| #23 | Carbon County | $221 | $11,473 | 17.2% High |
| #24 | Cascade County | $220 | $11,445 | 18.7% High |
| #25 | Mineral County | $220 | $11,428 | 20.4% Severe |
| #26 | Rosebud County | $219 | $11,390 | 19.8% High |
| #27 | Missoula County | $219 | $11,363 | 17.0% High |
| #28 | Liberty County | $218 | $11,347 | 23.6% Severe |
| #29 | Big Horn County | $218 | $11,331 | 21.6% Severe |
| #30 | Pondera County | $218 | $11,319 | 18.9% High |
| #31 | Powell County | $217 | $11,273 | 18.5% High |
| #32 | Sweet Grass County | $217 | $11,262 | 17.4% High |
| #33 | Blaine County | $217 | $11,258 | 19.2% High |
| #34 | Park County | $216 | $11,246 | 16.6% High |
| #35 | Phillips County | $216 | $11,245 | 18.4% High |
| #36 | Silver Bow County | $216 | $11,241 | 20.0% Severe |
| #37 | Lewis and Clark County | $216 | $11,228 | 15.6% High |
| #38 | Garfield County | $215 | $11,189 | 18.1% High |
| #39 | Petroleum County | $215 | $11,163 | 19.3% High |
| #40 | Sanders County | $214 | $11,114 | 23.6% Severe |
| #41 | Chouteau County | $213 | $11,100 | 21.4% Severe |
| #42 | Richland County | $213 | $11,100 | 16.4% High |
| #43 | McCone County | $213 | $11,071 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #44 | Beaverhead County | $213 | $11,053 | 19.8% High |
| #45 | Granite County | $212 | $11,039 | 20.5% Severe |
| #46 | Carter County | $211 | $10,992 | 23.6% Severe |
| #47 | Hill County | $211 | $10,957 | 18.8% High |
| #48 | Roosevelt County | $210 | $10,900 | 21.4% Severe |
| #49 | Fergus County | $209 | $10,890 | 18.7% High |
| #50 | Valley County | $209 | $10,883 | 18.2% High |
| #51 | Judith Basin County | $209 | $10,853 | 18.5% High |
| #52 | Meagher County | $209 | $10,847 | 19.5% High |
| #53 | Deer Lodge County | $208 | $10,814 | 23.3% Severe |
| #54 | Glacier County | $207 | $10,786 | 26.3% Severe |
| #55 | Toole County | $206 | $10,721 | 19.8% High |
| #56 | Daniels County | $197 | $10,225 | 21.6% Severe |
Montana Childcare Cost FAQ
Treasure County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Montana at $254/wk ($13,216 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 18.9% of median household income ($70,096).
Daniels County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Montana at $197/wk ($10,225 per year). Across the 56 Montana counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 29%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Montana is $218. The U.S. national median is $174, so Montana runs 26% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Montana family pays $11,347 per year for infant center daycare.
54 of 56 Montana counties (96%) 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. 21 Montana 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 Montana 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.