North Dakota Childcare Cost Rankings

Divide County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in North Dakota at $240/wk ($12,484 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 13.0% of median household income ($95,938).

Eddy County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in North Dakota at $195/wk ($10,145 per year). Across the 53 North Dakota counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 23%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in North Dakota is $209. The U.S. national median is $174, so North Dakota runs 20% above the national median. Annualized, the typical North Dakota family pays $10,843 per year for infant center daycare.

30 of 53 North Dakota counties (57%) 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. 2 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.