Oklahoma Childcare Cost Rankings

Canadian County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Oklahoma at $231/wk ($12,003 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 14.6% of median household income ($82,364).

Kiowa County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Oklahoma at $190/wk ($9,863 per year). Across the 77 Oklahoma counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 22%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Oklahoma is $205. The U.S. national median is $174, so Oklahoma runs 18% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Oklahoma family pays $10,657 per year for infant center daycare.

72 of 77 Oklahoma counties (94%) 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. 29 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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.