Childcare costs in Iowa by county
2022 prices (latest official data)
In 2022, the median price of full-time infant care at a childcare center ranged from $148.14 a week in Floyd County to $185.43 a week in Dallas County, across the 99 Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $159.05est. | $137.05est. | $104.50est. | $102.79est. |
| Adams County | $163.15est. | $140.59est. | $107.20est. | $105.44est. |
| Allamakee County | $158.99est. | $137est. | $104.47est. | $102.75est. |
| Appanoose County | $155.03est. | $133.59est. | $104.62est. | $102.91est. |
| Audubon County | $159.12est. | $137.12est. | $104.55est. | $102.84est. |
| Benton County | $163.05est. | $140.50est. | $107.13est. | $105.37est. |
| Black Hawk County | $168.21est. | $144.95est. | $112.99est. | $111.14est. |
| Boone County | $162.73est. | $140.22est. | $109.81est. | $108.01est. |
| Bremer County | $159.29est. | $137.26est. | $107.49est. | $105.73est. |
| Buchanan County | $158.70est. | $136.75est. | $107.10est. | $105.34est. |
| Buena Vista County | $157.42est. | $135.65est. | $106.23est. | $104.49est. |
| Butler County | $160.87est. | $138.62est. | $105.70est. | $103.97est. |
| Calhoun County | $157.57est. | $135.78est. | $103.53est. | $101.83est. |
| Carroll County | $152.80est. | $131.66est. | $103.11est. | $101.42est. |
| Cass County | $152.35est. | $131.28est. | $102.81est. | $101.12est. |
| Cedar County | $166.82est. | $143.75est. | $109.61est. | $107.81est. |
| Cerro Gordo County | $159.33est. | $137.29est. | $107.52est. | $105.76est. |
| Cherokee County | $149.92est. | $129.19est. | $101.17est. | $99.51est. |
| Chickasaw County | $161.19est. | $138.90est. | $105.91est. | $104.17est. |
| Clarke County | $152.65est. | $131.54est. | $103.01est. | $101.32est. |
| Clay County | $155.61est. | $134.09est. | $105.01est. | $103.29est. |
| Clayton County | $159.76est. | $137.66est. | $104.97est. | $103.25est. |
| Clinton County | $158.14est. | $136.27est. | $106.72est. | $104.97est. |
| Crawford County | $154.36est. | $133.01est. | $104.17est. | $102.46est. |
| Dallas County | $185.43est. | $159.78est. | $125.13est. | $123.08est. |
| Davis County | $167.15est. | $144.03est. | $109.82est. | $108.02est. |
| Decatur County | $152.13est. | $131.09est. | $99.95est. | $98.32est. |
| Delaware County | $160.64est. | $138.43est. | $105.55est. | $103.82est. |
| Des Moines County | $163.14est. | $140.58est. | $110.09est. | $108.29est. |
| Dickinson County | $165.48est. | $142.59est. | $111.67est. | $109.84est. |
| Dubuque County | $166.16est. | $143.18est. | $112.13est. | $110.29est. |
| Emmet County | $154.14est. | $132.82est. | $104.02est. | $102.31est. |
| Fayette County | $162.01est. | $139.60est. | $106.45est. | $104.70est. |
| Floyd County | $148.14est. | $127.65est. | $99.97est. | $98.33est. |
| Franklin County | $152.94est. | $131.79est. | $103.21est. | $101.51est. |
| Fremont County | $158.68est. | $136.74est. | $104.26est. | $102.55est. |
| Greene County | $159.80est. | $137.70est. | $107.83est. | $106.07est. |
| Grundy County | $161.66est. | $139.30est. | $106.22est. | $104.47est. |
| Guthrie County | $164.12est. | $141.42est. | $107.83est. | $106.06est. |
| Hamilton County | $160.69est. | $138.47est. | $108.44est. | $106.66est. |
| Hancock County | $163.10est. | $140.54est. | $107.16est. | $105.40est. |
| Hardin County | $160.97est. | $138.71est. | $105.76est. | $104.03est. |
| Harrison County | $166.04est. | $143.08est. | $109.10est. | $107.31est. |
| Henry County | $154.15est. | $132.83est. | $104.03est. | $102.32est. |
| Howard County | $153.13est. | $131.96est. | $103.34est. | $101.64est. |
| Humboldt County | $150.58est. | $129.75est. | $101.61est. | $99.95est. |
| Ida County | $154.26est. | $132.92est. | $101.35est. | $99.69est. |
| Iowa County | $160.15est. | $138est. | $105.22est. | $103.50est. |
| Jackson County | $154.67est. | $133.28est. | $104.38est. | $102.67est. |
| Jasper County | $159.69est. | $137.61est. | $107.77est. | $106est. |
| Jefferson County | $160.03est. | $137.90est. | $107.99est. | $106.22est. |
| Johnson County | $176.59est. | $152.17est. | $119.17est. | $117.21est. |
| Jones County | $152.61est. | $131.51est. | $102.99est. | $101.30est. |
| Keokuk County | $160.09est. | $137.95est. | $105.19est. | $103.46est. |
| Kossuth County | $159.64est. | $137.56est. | $107.73est. | $105.96est. |
| Lee County | $157.12est. | $135.39est. | $106.03est. | $104.29est. |
| Linn County | $165.98est. | $143.02est. | $111.49est. | $109.66est. |
| Louisa County | $161.30est. | $138.99est. | $105.98est. | $104.24est. |
| Lucas County | $157est. | $135.29est. | $105.95est. | $104.21est. |
| Lyon County | $163.20est. | $140.63est. | $107.23est. | $105.47est. |
| Madison County | $168.52est. | $145.21est. | $113.72est. | $111.86est. |
| Mahaska County | $157.14est. | $135.41est. | $106.04est. | $104.31est. |
| Marion County | $162.19est. | $139.76est. | $109.45est. | $107.65est. |
| Marshall County | $161.14est. | $138.85est. | $108.74est. | $106.96est. |
| Mills County | $162.68est. | $140.18est. | $109.78est. | $107.98est. |
| Mitchell County | $154.02est. | $132.72est. | $103.94est. | $102.23est. |
| Monona County | $161.14est. | $138.85est. | $105.88est. | $104.14est. |
| Monroe County | $155.01est. | $133.58est. | $104.61est. | $102.89est. |
| Montgomery County | $153.52est. | $132.29est. | $103.60est. | $101.90est. |
| Muscatine County | $167.13est. | $144.01est. | $112.78est. | $110.93est. |
| O'Brien County | $152.20est. | $131.15est. | $102.71est. | $101.02est. |
| Osceola County | $159.01est. | $137.02est. | $107.31est. | $105.55est. |
| Page County | $154.73est. | $133.33est. | $104.42est. | $102.70est. |
| Palo Alto County | $148.77est. | $128.19est. | $100.39est. | $98.75est. |
| Plymouth County | $160.90est. | $138.64est. | $108.58est. | $106.80est. |
| Pocahontas County | $159.65est. | $137.57est. | $104.90est. | $103.18est. |
| Polk County | $177.31est. | $152.79est. | $119.10est. | $117.15est. |
| Pottawattamie County | $168.43est. | $145.14est. | $113.66est. | $111.80est. |
| Poweshiek County | $161.46est. | $139.13est. | $108.96est. | $107.17est. |
| Ringgold County | $157.94est. | $136.10est. | $103.77est. | $102.07est. |
| Sac County | $153.23est. | $132.04est. | $100.68est. | $99.03est. |
| Scott County | $168.26est. | $144.99est. | $113.02est. | $111.17est. |
| Shelby County | $163.92est. | $141.25est. | $110.62est. | $108.81est. |
| Sioux County | $159.79est. | $137.69est. | $107.83est. | $106.06est. |
| Story County | $170.34est. | $146.78est. | $114.95est. | $113.06est. |
| Tama County | $165.82est. | $142.89est. | $108.95est. | $107.17est. |
| Taylor County | $153.86est. | $132.58est. | $101.10est. | $99.44est. |
| Union County | $152.79est. | $131.66est. | $103.10est. | $101.41est. |
| Van Buren County | $154.80est. | $133.39est. | $101.71est. | $100.05est. |
| Wapello County | $164.62est. | $141.85est. | $111.09est. | $109.27est. |
| Warren County | $169.31est. | $145.89est. | $114.25est. | $112.38est. |
| Washington County | $162.18est. | $139.75est. | $109.45est. | $107.65est. |
| Wayne County | $152.68est. | $131.56est. | $100.32est. | $98.67est. |
| Webster County | $155.59est. | $134.07est. | $105est. | $103.27est. |
| Winnebago County | $150.70est. | $129.86est. | $101.70est. | $100.03est. |
| Winneshiek County | $156.75est. | $135.07est. | $105.78est. | $104.04est. |
| Woodbury County | $165.82est. | $142.89est. | $111.90est. | $110.06est. |
| Worth County | $157.23est. | $135.49est. | $103.31est. | $101.62est. |
| Wright County | $154.07est. | $132.76est. | $103.97est. | $102.26est. |
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.