Washington Childcare Cost Rankings

King County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Washington at $478/wk ($24,879 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 21.4% of median household income ($116,340).

Whitman County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Washington at $237/wk ($12,326 per year). Across the 39 Washington counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 102%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Washington is $328. The U.S. national median is $174, so Washington runs 89% above the national median. Annualized, the typical Washington family pays $17,034 per year for infant center daycare.

39 of 39 Washington counties (100%) 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. 27 Washington 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 Washington 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.