United States Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices

< Back to list of datasets

Details Childcare prices, price as a percent of median family income, affordability gap measuring childcare burden
Topics child care, childcare prices, provider type, age of children, infant, toddler, preschool, school-age, center-based, home-based, family-care
Source U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices
Years Available Prices:2018, 2022. Affordability Gap: 2008-2022
Geographies County, State
Public Edition or Subscriber-only Public Edition
Download Available yes
For more information https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/topics/featured-childcare
Last updated on PolicyMap November 2025

Description:

The United States Department of Labor’s National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) is the most comprehensive federal source of childcare prices at the county level. The database offers childcare price data by childcare provider type, age of children, and county characteristics.
Childcare prices are derived from each state’s childcare Market Rate Survey. Prices are median yearly prices for one child at the market rate. School-age prices reflect the school-year arrangement (part day). Childcare prices and childcare price as a percent of median family income data are available for 2018 and 2022. 2018 childcare prices are based on the 2016-2018 data collection cycle and 2022 childcare prices are based on the 2019-2022 data collection cycle. Childcare data for New Mexico and Indiana are unavailable for all years. Areas with suppressed, missing, or unreported data display as Insufficient Data.

The Affordability Gap data was calculated by PolicyMap using the affordability quintiles provided by the NDCP. The methodology can be found in the info bubble of each map layer. Affordability quintile ranges for state-level shares can be found in Appendix H Exhibit B of the National Database for Childcare Prices Technical Report.

Available Data Layers & Indicators (76)
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Infant center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
Infant center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
Median yearly price of infant center-based childcare
Median yearly price of infant center-based childcare
Median yearly price of preschool center-based childcare
Median yearly price of preschool center-based childcare
Median yearly price of school age center-based childcare
Median yearly price of school age center-based childcare
Median yearly price of toddler center-based childcare
Median yearly price of toddler center-based childcare
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Preschool center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
Preschool center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-Age Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
School-age center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
School-age center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler Center-Based Childcare Affordability Gap
Toddler center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income
Toddler center-based childcare prices as a share of median family income