What daycare costs, where programs publish it

We read 26,893 program websites. 1,348 of them (5%) publish a full-time tuition figure. These are the medians of what they state, by metro area and age group. Read September 2026.

Metro areaPrograms publishingMedian fromInfantToddlerPreschool

Bronx, NY18$852$1,083 (15)$1,517 (5)$940 (15)

Brooklyn, NY24$1,597$1,877 (14)$3,000 (3)$1,593 (14)

Los Angeles, CA167$1,183$1,348 (73)$1,424 (32)$1,231 (111)

Baltimore, MD6$1,003$1,257 (3)$1,289 (4)$1,218 (4)

San Diego, CA57$1,300$1,701 (32)$1,240 (15)$1,383 (30)

New York, NY5$1,500Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data

Cincinnati, OH16$693$1,365 (5)$1,322 (3)$1,017 (8)

Omaha, NE5$1,153$1,863 (3)$1,257 (5)$1,164 (4)

Columbus, OH24$982$1,400 (17)$1,337 (18)$1,248 (19)

San Francisco, CA22$2,495Not enough data$2,835 (8)$2,755 (16)

Sacramento, CA24$1,058$1,369 (7)$1,450 (7)$1,051 (14)

San Jose, CA19$1,452$2,752 (3)$2,138 (4)$1,450 (5)

Rochester, NY12$1,006$1,025 (10)$1,500 (4)$964 (10)

Austin, TX38$1,225$1,495 (9)$1,275 (13)$1,275 (18)

Queens, NY12$910$1,300 (5)Not enough data$966 (7)

Phoenix, AZ45$758$1,408 (9)$1,225 (13)$758 (32)

Detroit, MI13$888$1,192 (7)$1,625 (3)$1,083 (7)

Lawrence, MA16$1,337$1,447 (5)$1,907 (7)$1,283 (9)

Washington, DC16$2,457$2,847 (9)$2,700 (10)$2,329 (8)

Springfield, MA17$1,300Not enough data$1,537 (3)$1,300 (9)

Worcester, MA17$1,500$1,827 (8)$1,785 (6)$1,500 (13)

Minneapolis, MN6$1,448Not enough data$1,629 (3)$1,448 (6)

Lincoln, NE12$927$1,023 (9)$975 (10)$927 (10)

Bakersfield, CA6$943Not enough dataNot enough data$1,083 (5)

Cleveland, OH13$715$1,062 (7)$888 (7)$780 (10)

Seattle, WA23$2,230$3,099 (8)$2,592 (13)$2,460 (17)

Oakland, CA27$1,705$2,860 (5)$2,220 (8)$1,839 (18)

Santa Maria, CA10$1,276$1,430 (3)Not enough data$1,148 (5)

Wilmington, DE6$590$1,517 (3)Not enough data$835 (5)

Grand Rapids, MI7$1,135$1,408 (3)$1,326 (3)$1,135 (3)

Saint Paul, MN6$1,105Not enough dataNot enough data$1,842 (3)

Yonkers, NY8$1,395Not enough data$1,430 (3)$1,565 (4)

Syracuse, NY14$1,062$940 (9)$1,443 (3)$1,252 (13)

Buffalo, NY7$893$953 (6)Not enough data$893 (5)

Dorchester, MA17$1,842$2,925 (9)$2,925 (10)$2,167 (13)

Salinas, CA7$1,018$1,430 (5)$1,295 (4)$906 (3)

Irvine, CA23$1,100$1,850 (4)$1,750 (8)$1,060 (15)

Oxnard, CA15$802$1,447 (3)$1,224 (6)$1,005 (10)

Dayton, OH5$742Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data

Akron, OH10$834$953 (3)$1,170 (7)$954 (10)

Saginaw, MI6$693Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data

New Haven, CT7$1,408Not enough data$1,892 (4)$1,434 (6)

Freeport, NY9$1,326$1,447 (6)$1,421 (3)$1,398 (6)

San Mateo, CA18$1,507Not enough data$2,275 (4)$1,800 (11)

Lansing, MI8$698Not enough dataNot enough data$746 (3)

Brockton, MA16$1,463$1,874 (10)$1,764 (6)$1,495 (11)

Stamford, CT6$1,967Not enough data$2,650 (4)$2,200 (5)

Riverside, CA20$832$1,261 (8)$893 (3)$940 (13)

Muskegon, MI5$900$1,040 (3)Not enough data$931 (4)

Hartford, CT6$1,321Not enough data$1,771 (4)$1,234 (5)

Brentwood, NY5$1,278$1,447 (3)Not enough data$1,417 (3)

Duluth, MN9$1,083$1,257 (6)$1,148 (6)$1,083 (9)

Concord, CA12$1,170$1,995 (4)$1,700 (5)$1,035 (7)

San Bernardino, CA33$997$1,179 (13)$1,083 (5)$1,057 (22)

Tacoma, WA5$885Not enough data$1,760 (3)$1,500 (5)

Fairfield, CA8$1,311Not enough dataNot enough data$1,298 (6)

San Rafael, CA7$1,800Not enough dataNot enough data$1,975 (3)

Southfield, MI5$975Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data

Cicero, IL6$1,640Not enough data$1,950 (5)$1,230 (3)

Paso Robles, CA12$900Not enough dataNot enough data$800 (9)

Everett, WA5$2,000Not enough dataNot enough data$2,000 (3)

Burlington, VT7$1,582Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data

Kennewick, WA17$614$1,800 (5)$1,600 (5)$1,375 (5)

Monthly, full-time, as published on each program's own website. Weekly rates are multiplied by 4.33 and annual rates divided by 12. The number in brackets is how many programs the median is drawn from. A cell needs at least three.

Tuition questions

Why do so few daycares publish tuition?

1,348 of the 26,893 program websites we read (5%) state a full-time price. Tuition varies by age, schedule and start date, and most programs prefer to share it on a tour. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing.

Why does infant care cost more?

States allow the fewest children per teacher in infant rooms, often one teacher for four babies, so staff cost per child is highest. Tuition falls as children move to toddler and preschool rooms with larger groups.

What fees sit on top of tuition?

Common extras are a registration or enrolment fee, an annual supply fee, meals where they are not included, late pick-up charges, and tuition charged for closure days. Ask when tuition last went up and by how much.