Utah Childcare Cost Rankings
Utah counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Beaver County at $229/wk, and the most affordable is Weber County at $226/wk.
Across 29 Utah counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $226 ($11,766 per year). That puts Utah 30% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk.
The Childcare Burden Index measures annual infant center cost as a share of local median household income. Across Utah, 19 of 29 ranked counties (66%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 5 Utah 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 Utah county is Piute County at 35.7% 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
Beaver County, UT
Median income $80,268
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Utah at $229/wk ($11,895/yr). Family-based daycare runs $170/wk, about 26% cheaper.
Daggett County, UT
Median income $61,250
Second-most expensive at $229/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $170/wk ($8,850/yr).
Duchesne County, UT
Median income $70,821
Third-most expensive at $229/wk. Preschool center care drops to $170/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Beaver County | $229 | $11,895 | 14.8% Moderate |
| #2 | Daggett County | $229 | $11,895 | 19.4% High |
| #3 | Duchesne County | $229 | $11,895 | 16.8% High |
| #4 | Emery County | $229 | $11,895 | 17.7% High |
| #5 | Garfield County | $229 | $11,895 | 21.1% Severe |
| #6 | Grand County | $229 | $11,895 | 20.1% Severe |
| #7 | Kane County | $229 | $11,895 | 16.9% High |
| #8 | Millard County | $229 | $11,895 | 17.1% High |
| #9 | Piute County | $229 | $11,895 | 35.7% Severe |
| #10 | Rich County | $229 | $11,895 | 17.2% High |
| #11 | San Juan County | $229 | $11,895 | 22.8% Severe |
| #12 | Sanpete County | $229 | $11,895 | 18.5% High |
| #13 | Sevier County | $229 | $11,895 | 17.8% High |
| #14 | Wayne County | $229 | $11,895 | 18.3% High |
| #15 | Box Elder County | $226 | $11,766 | 16.2% High |
| #16 | Cache County | $226 | $11,766 | 16.2% High |
| #17 | Carbon County | $226 | $11,766 | 21.9% Severe |
| #18 | Davis County | $226 | $11,766 | 11.6% Moderate |
| #19 | Iron County | $226 | $11,766 | 18.7% High |
| #20 | Juab County | $226 | $11,766 | 13.4% Moderate |
| #21 | Morgan County | $226 | $11,766 | 9.7% Affordable |
| #22 | Salt Lake County | $226 | $11,766 | 13.1% Moderate |
| #23 | Summit County | $226 | $11,766 | 9.3% Affordable |
| #24 | Tooele County | $226 | $11,766 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #25 | Uintah County | $226 | $11,766 | 17.3% High |
| #26 | Utah County | $226 | $11,766 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #27 | Wasatch County | $226 | $11,766 | 11.2% Moderate |
| #28 | Washington County | $226 | $11,766 | 16.3% High |
| #29 | Weber County | $226 | $11,766 | 14.3% Moderate |
Utah Childcare Cost FAQ
Beaver County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Utah at $229/wk ($11,895 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 14.8% of median household income ($80,268).
Weber County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Utah at $226/wk ($11,766 per year). Across the 29 Utah counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 1%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in Utah is $226. The U.S. national median is $174, so Utah runs 30% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Utah family pays $11,766 per year for infant center daycare.
19 of 29 Utah counties (66%) 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. 5 Utah 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 Utah 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.