Nebraska Childcare Cost Rankings

Dakota County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Nebraska at $244/wk ($12,675 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 19.2% of median household income ($66,112).

York County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Nebraska at $187/wk ($9,737 per year). Across the 93 Nebraska counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 30%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Nebraska is $187. The U.S. national median is $174, so Nebraska runs 8% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Nebraska family pays $9,737 per year for infant center daycare.

60 of 93 Nebraska counties (65%) 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. 3 Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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.