Child care prices in California.
Weekly child care prices in California, county by county, from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Source: National Database of Childcare Prices, U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Data year 2022. Read November 4, 2026.
$379
Center, infant
State median per week, 2022
$225
Center, preschool
State median per week, 2022
$284
Home daycare, infant
State median per week, 2022
$224
Home daycare, preschool
State median per week, 2022
Infant care at centers is lowest in Imperial County, at $222 a week in 2022. It is highest in San Francisco County, at $607 in 2022.
Infant care at home daycares is lowest in Imperial County, at $190 a week in 2022. It is highest in Santa Cruz County, at $408 in 2022.
These prices are ranges to compare your own rates with. They are not advice on what to charge.
Centers: weekly prices by county, 2022
Each row is the county's newest year with a price. Every row is 2022.
| County | Median per week, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School age | |
| Alameda | $516 | $371 | $408 | $434 |
| Alpine | $356 | $186 | $168 | $189 |
| Amador | $235 | $186 | $145 | $59 |
| Butte | $354 | $216 | $179 | $87 |
| Calaveras | $291 | $196 | $162 | $76 |
| Colusa | $265 | $185 | $153 | $86 |
| Contra Costa | $482 | $346 | $381 | $429 |
| Del Norte | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| El Dorado | $450 | $290 | $228 | $117 |
| Fresno | $416 | $250 | $203 | $109 |
| Glenn | $238 | $182 | $151 | $61 |
| Humboldt | $366 | $232 | $192 | $95 |
| Imperial | $222 | $175 | $161 | $148 |
| Inyo | $361 | $213 | $176 | $91 |
| Kern | $353 | $206 | $171 | $91 |
| Kings | $261 | $184 | $153 | $86 |
| Lake | $261 | $196 | $162 | $78 |
| Lassen | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| Los Angeles | $257 | $221 | $225 | $199 |
| Madera | $332 | $188 | $156 | $95 |
| Marin | $548 | $394 | $433 | $439 |
| Mariposa | $254 | $184 | $152 | $56 |
| Mendocino | $278 | $203 | $168 | $77 |
| Merced | $245 | $199 | $165 | $75 |
| Modoc | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| Mono | $370 | $240 | $283 | $245 |
| Monterey | $403 | $252 | $198 | $101 |
| Napa | $377 | $264 | $238 | $242 |
| Nevada | $317 | $213 | $201 | $196 |
| Orange | $394 | $282 | $254 | $239 |
| Placer | $449 | $297 | $233 | $134 |
| Plumas | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| Riverside | $405 | $238 | $189 | $108 |
| Sacramento | $347 | $221 | $261 | $217 |
| San Benito | $386 | $231 | $254 | $326 |
| San Bernardino | $384 | $221 | $173 | $95 |
| San Diego | $379 | $269 | $243 | $219 |
| San Francisco | $607 | $433 | $477 | $438 |
| San Joaquin | $387 | $236 | $185 | $96 |
| San Luis Obispo | $361 | $232 | $272 | $232 |
| San Mateo | $555 | $397 | $437 | $439 |
| Santa Barbara | $453 | $309 | $242 | $115 |
| Santa Clara | $527 | $373 | $410 | $438 |
| Santa Cruz | $477 | $326 | $256 | $142 |
| Shasta | $248 | $182 | $214 | $178 |
| Sierra | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| Siskiyou | $265 | $204 | $221 | $169 |
| Solano | $424 | $272 | $214 | $119 |
| Sonoma | $243 | $200 | $204 | $213 |
| Stanislaus | $316 | $218 | $171 | $84 |
| Sutter | $307 | $197 | $232 | $188 |
| Tehama | $236 | $182 | $150 | $59 |
| Trinity | $224 | $179 | $148 | $54 |
| Tulare | $240 | $191 | $158 | $72 |
| Tuolumne | $269 | $207 | $162 | $78 |
| Ventura | $425 | $272 | $299 | $421 |
| Yolo | $387 | $265 | $312 | $247 |
| Yuba | $365 | $219 | $178 | $112 |
Home daycares: weekly prices by county, 2022
| County | Median per week, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School age | |
| Alameda | $361 | $311 | $345 | $279 |
| Alpine | $202 | $200 | $200 | $162 |
| Amador | $216 | $205 | $194 | $191 |
| Butte | $291 | $242 | $225 | $194 |
| Calaveras | $244 | $219 | $206 | $211 |
| Colusa | $240 | $219 | $206 | $208 |
| Contra Costa | $319 | $288 | $320 | $264 |
| Del Norte | $231 | $210 | $195 | $203 |
| El Dorado | $372 | $306 | $287 | $213 |
| Fresno | $295 | $251 | $234 | $196 |
| Glenn | $211 | $193 | $179 | $178 |
| Humboldt | $253 | $220 | $204 | $178 |
| Imperial | $190 | $185 | $180 | $180 |
| Inyo | $249 | $220 | $204 | $178 |
| Kern | $238 | $205 | $191 | $174 |
| Kings | $218 | $195 | $181 | $174 |
| Lake | $232 | $206 | $195 | $186 |
| Lassen | $230 | $210 | $195 | $203 |
| Los Angeles | $284 | $230 | $222 | $186 |
| Madera | $236 | $210 | $195 | $181 |
| Marin | $392 | $367 | $407 | $399 |
| Mariposa | $232 | $211 | $196 | $203 |
| Mendocino | $240 | $212 | $201 | $176 |
| Merced | $231 | $202 | $191 | $182 |
| Modoc | $205 | $191 | $177 | $179 |
| Mono | $295 | $254 | $260 | $261 |
| Monterey | $319 | $271 | $254 | $197 |
| Napa | $262 | $251 | $251 | $194 |
| Nevada | $218 | $207 | $207 | $221 |
| Orange | $300 | $279 | $279 | $196 |
| Placer | $389 | $330 | $310 | $238 |
| Plumas | $230 | $210 | $195 | $203 |
| Riverside | $231 | $215 | $204 | $179 |
| Sacramento | $242 | $200 | $205 | $208 |
| San Benito | $237 | $213 | $236 | $227 |
| San Bernardino | $271 | $239 | $224 | $185 |
| San Diego | $251 | $238 | $238 | $180 |
| San Francisco | $395 | $369 | $410 | $433 |
| San Joaquin | $328 | $276 | $259 | $203 |
| San Luis Obispo | $246 | $209 | $214 | $215 |
| San Mateo | $375 | $357 | $396 | $363 |
| Santa Barbara | $363 | $305 | $286 | $207 |
| Santa Clara | $361 | $313 | $347 | $287 |
| Santa Cruz | $408 | $335 | $314 | $227 |
| Shasta | $209 | $174 | $178 | $200 |
| Sierra | $205 | $191 | $177 | $179 |
| Siskiyou | $192 | $181 | $194 | $185 |
| Solano | $367 | $304 | $285 | $220 |
| Sonoma | $286 | $232 | $223 | $196 |
| Stanislaus | $304 | $258 | $242 | $195 |
| Sutter | $220 | $187 | $191 | $205 |
| Tehama | $222 | $197 | $183 | $173 |
| Trinity | $243 | $213 | $198 | $202 |
| Tulare | $246 | $220 | $206 | $209 |
| Tuolumne | $241 | $218 | $207 | $181 |
| Ventura | $262 | $236 | $262 | $249 |
| Yolo | $260 | $220 | $225 | $223 |
| Yuba | $273 | $241 | $225 | $191 |
What the age groups mean
The database groups children the same way in every state.
- Infantbirth to 23 months
- Toddler24 to 35 months
- Preschool36 to 54 months
- School ageschool-age children
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State medians, newest year.
Questions, answered
How much does child care cost in California?
The California median at a center was $379 a week for an infant in 2022. For a preschooler it was $225.
How much does a home daycare cost in California?
The California median at a home daycare was $284 a week for an infant in 2022. For a preschooler it was $224.
Which California county has the highest center price for infants?
San Francisco County, at $607 a week in 2022. The lowest is Imperial County, at $222 in 2022.
Are these prices adjusted for inflation?
Prices are in the dollars of their own year. We did not adjust them for inflation.
Where do these California prices come from?
From the National Database of Childcare Prices. The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau publishes it.
About these numbers
Each price is a median weekly price for full-time care, as the Women's Bureau published it.
A county's row is its newest year with a price. Each row says its year.
Prices are in the dollars of their own year. We did not adjust them for inflation.
The Women's Bureau fills some gaps with its own estimates. We show each price rounded to the dollar.
None means the database has no price for that age group.
These prices are ranges to compare your own rates with. They are not advice on what to charge.
This page is a summary of public data. It is not financial or legal advice.
How the prices were gathered is in the National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report 2024.
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