How Much Does Daycare Cost? 2026 Prices by Age, Schedule and City

Daycare Costs by Age Group Across 44 Cities (2026)

Daycare centers are the most common form of childcare in the U.S., used by roughly 25% of families with children under 5. Costs depend primarily on your child's age (infant care requires lower staff ratios) and your location. Each range below runs from the least to the most expensive of the 44 metros we track; national averages are in the next table.

Daycare Cost per Month, Week, Day and Hour

Centers bill monthly or weekly for a full-time spot, but it helps to see the same price every way. These are national averages for full-time center care (Care.com 2026):

Per week = annual ÷ 52; per day = weekly ÷ 5; per hour assumes 40 hours of care a week, so a longer day lowers the effective rate. School-age care runs only before and after school, so it has no comparable hourly figure. For your own city, see the city table or our daycare cost per hour guide.

Part-Time Daycare Prices: 2, 3 and 4 Days a Week

Part-time spots aren't priced in proportion to the days you use, because each still holds a place in the classroom. Here's what the national averages look like on a part-time schedule:

The same schedule ratios our calculator uses. See part-time daycare costs for 2, 3 and 4 day rates in all 44 cities and how to check a quote.

Daycare Cost by City: Most to Least Expensive

Infant daycare center costs across 44 major metro areas, sorted from most to least expensive:

What Affects Daycare Cost?

• Child's age: Infant care costs 40–80% more than preschool care because state regulations require lower staff-to-child ratios (often 1:3 or 1:4 for infants vs. 1:8 or 1:10 for preschoolers)
• Location: Daycare in San Francisco costs roughly double what it costs in Indianapolis — driven by real estate costs, local wages, and cost of living
• Hours: Full-time (40–50 hrs/week) is standard pricing. Part-time schedules aren't priced pro rata: 3 days a week averages about 65% of the full-time rate and 2 days about 45% (see the part-time table above)
• Quality ratings: Centers with higher QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System) scores may charge 10–20% more
• Accreditation: NAEYC-accredited centers often charge a premium of 10–15% over non-accredited facilities

Daycare vs. Other Care Types

How does daycare compare to other childcare options for one infant?

For one child, daycare is almost always the most affordable option. See our Daycare vs. Nanny guide for a detailed comparison.

What Daycare Tuition Usually Includes

Tuition pays for your child's place during the center's opening hours. What else it covers varies, so ask each center for its fee sheet before you compare prices:

• Often included: meals and snacks, classroom supplies and daily activities.
• Often extra: a one-time registration or application fee, an annual supply or activity fee, and late-pickup fees.
• Usually yours to supply: diapers, wipes, formula or breast milk, and spare clothes. Our daycare packing list covers what centers ask for by age.
• You pay for the spot, not the attendance: most centers charge the same when your child is sick or on vacation, and many charge for holiday closures.

How to Pay Less for Daycare

• Dependent Care FSA: pay up to $7,500 of daycare a year with pre-tax money through an employer plan, the same limit in 2026 and 2027. That saves roughly $1,850–$2,750 a year at the 12%–24% brackets with a 5% state tax. How the FSA works.
• Child and Dependent Care Credit: 20%–50% of up to $3,000 of care costs for one child or $6,000 for two or more, depending on income. Estimate your credit.
• State child care subsidies: if your income is below your state's limit, a subsidy can cover most of the bill. Check with our subsidy eligibility calculator.
• Sibling discounts: many centers take 5–15% off for a second child. See daycare costs for two kids.
• Free and public programs: Head Start and state pre-K can replace paid care for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds. See free childcare programs.
• Employer benefits: some employers subsidize daycare or offer backup care. See what to ask your employer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report: national weekly daycare rates · U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices and the Economic Policy Institute: metro price levels · Child Care Aware of America, 2025 Price & Supply · how we combine them: methodology. Updated October 30, 2026.