Oregon Childcare Cost Rankings

Multnomah County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Oregon at $407/wk ($21,168 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 25.3% of median household income ($83,668).

Wheeler County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Oregon at $197/wk ($10,260 per year). Across the 36 Oregon counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 106%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Oregon is $197. The U.S. national median is $174, so Oregon runs 14% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Oregon family pays $10,260 per year for infant center daycare.

33 of 36 Oregon counties (92%) 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. 12 Oregon 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 Oregon 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.