Childcare costs in California by county
2022 prices (latest official data)
In 2022, the median price of full-time infant care at a childcare center ranged from $221.78 a week in Imperial County to $606.61 a week in San Francisco County, across the 58 California counties with a published price. Pick a county for every age group and care type.
The Department of Labor does not publish one statewide price, so we don't make one up. Prices are in 2022 dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
Median weekly price by county, 2022
| County | Center, infant | Center, preschool | Family care, infant | Family care, preschool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $515.91est. | $408.33est. | $360.65est. | $345.38est. |
| Alpine County | $355.94est. | $167.84est. | $201.96est. | $199.50est. |
| Amador County | $234.97est. | $145.46est. | $216.09est. | $194.08est. |
| Butte County | $354.03est. | $179.09est. | $291.06est. | $224.87est. |
| Calaveras County | $290.98est. | $162.48est. | $243.78est. | $205.65est. |
| Colusa County | $264.77est. | $152.78est. | $240.01est. | $205.88est. |
| Contra Costa County | $481.76est. | $380.54est. | $318.61est. | $319.79est. |
| Del Norte County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $230.67est. | $195.23est. |
| El Dorado County | $449.96est. | $227.66est. | $371.83est. | $286.67est. |
| Fresno County | $415.60est. | $202.96est. | $295.08est. | $233.85est. |
| Glenn County | $238.22est. | $150.64est. | $210.70est. | $179.01est. |
| Humboldt County | $366.24est. | $191.72est. | $252.62est. | $204.15est. |
| Imperial County | $221.78est. | $161.21est. | $189.67est. | $179.76est. |
| Inyo County | $360.87est. | $176.04est. | $248.87est. | $204.15est. |
| Kern County | $352.63est. | $170.63est. | $237.57est. | $190.74est. |
| Kings County | $260.51est. | $152.61est. | $217.96est. | $181.34est. |
| Lake County | $261.43est. | $162.43est. | $231.86est. | $194.86est. |
| Lassen County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $230.16est. | $194.92est. |
| Los Angeles County | $256.98est. | $224.99est. | $284.37est. | $221.71est. |
| Madera County | $331.52est. | $155.90est. | $235.91est. | $195.41est. |
| Marin County | $548.16est. | $433.34est. | $392.22est. | $407.17est. |
| Mariposa County | $254.31est. | $152.10est. | $231.73est. | $195.67est. |
| Mendocino County | $278.06est. | $167.86est. | $239.64est. | $200.68est. |
| Merced County | $244.53est. | $165.04est. | $230.70est. | $190.60est. |
| Modoc County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $205.49est. | $177.19est. |
| Mono County | $369.94est. | $282.89est. | $295.30est. | $260.02est. |
| Monterey County | $402.95est. | $197.63est. | $318.67est. | $253.75est. |
| Napa County | $377.07est. | $238.23est. | $262.42est. | $250.56est. |
| Nevada County | $316.71est. | $201est. | $218.15est. | $206.68est. |
| Orange County | $393.71est. | $253.84est. | $299.98est. | $279.39est. |
| Placer County | $448.93est. | $232.66est. | $389.29est. | $309.87est. |
| Plumas County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $230.16est. | $194.92est. |
| Riverside County | $404.68est. | $188.73est. | $231.18est. | $203.92est. |
| Sacramento County | $346.92est. | $260.50est. | $241.95est. | $204.54est. |
| San Benito County | $385.99est. | $253.99est. | $236.88est. | $236.03est. |
| San Bernardino County | $384.25est. | $173est. | $270.82est. | $223.63est. |
| San Diego County | $379.21est. | $242.61est. | $250.86est. | $238.07est. |
| San Francisco County | $606.61est. | $477.04est. | $395.36est. | $409.64est. |
| San Joaquin County | $386.69est. | $185.14est. | $328.06est. | $258.85est. |
| San Luis Obispo County | $361.27est. | $272.45est. | $246.01est. | $214.02est. |
| San Mateo County | $554.56est. | $437.17est. | $375.02est. | $396.05est. |
| Santa Barbara County | $452.53est. | $242.11est. | $363.01est. | $286.37est. |
| Santa Clara County | $527.14est. | $410.14est. | $360.87est. | $346.64est. |
| Santa Cruz County | $476.88est. | $255.62est. | $407.69est. | $313.92est. |
| Shasta County | $248.26est. | $214.35est. | $208.50est. | $177.53est. |
| Sierra County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $205.49est. | $177.19est. |
| Siskiyou County | $265.43est. | $220.95est. | $191.57est. | $194.29est. |
| Solano County | $423.65est. | $213.51est. | $366.88est. | $284.98est. |
| Sonoma County | $243.21est. | $204.03est. | $286.16est. | $223.38est. |
| Stanislaus County | $316.32est. | $171.04est. | $304.24est. | $242.13est. |
| Sutter County | $306.68est. | $231.51est. | $219.61est. | $190.81est. |
| Tehama County | $235.78est. | $150.35est. | $221.56est. | $182.61est. |
| Trinity County | $224.43est. | $148.03est. | $242.53est. | $197.53est. |
| Tulare County | $240.26est. | $158.10est. | $246.22est. | $206.13est. |
| Tuolumne County | $269.42est. | $161.92est. | $240.72est. | $207.21est. |
| Ventura County | $424.72est. | $299.18est. | $261.63est. | $262.14est. |
| Yolo County | $387.21est. | $311.82est. | $260.15est. | $224.72est. |
| Yuba County | $365.14est. | $178.13est. | $273.43est. | $224.97est. |
Infant = 0–23 months; preschool = 36–54 months. "est." = the source estimated the value (for example, carried it forward from an earlier survey year); each county page explains how. Toddler and school-age prices are on each county page.
Related
Source
- U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) 2008-2022, county-level data file (NDCP2022.xlsx) Data period: study year 2022 (prices from state childcare market rate surveys; latest year in the file). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: U.S. Government work (DOL); public domain. Cite: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices.
Last updated . See our methodology.