Child care prices in Iowa.

Weekly child care prices in Iowa, 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.

  • $166

    Center, infant

    State median per week, 2022

  • $143

    Center, preschool

    State median per week, 2022

  • $112

    Home daycare, infant

    State median per week, 2022

  • $110

    Home daycare, preschool

    State median per week, 2022

Infant care at centers is lowest in Floyd County, at $148 a week in 2022. It is highest in Dallas County, at $185 in 2022.

Infant care at home daycares is lowest in Decatur County, at $100 a week in 2022. It is highest in Dallas County, at $125 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.

CountyMedian per week, 2022
InfantToddlerPreschoolSchool age
Adair$159$137$137$110
Adams$163$141$141$112
Allamakee$159$137$137$110
Appanoose$155$134$134$107
Audubon$159$137$137$110
Benton$163$141$141$112
Black Hawk$168$145$145$116
Boone$163$140$140$112
Bremer$159$137$137$110
Buchanan$159$137$137$109
Buena Vista$157$136$136$109
Butler$161$139$139$111
Calhoun$158$136$136$109
Carroll$153$132$132$105
Cass$152$131$131$105
Cedar$167$144$144$115
Cerro Gordo$159$137$137$110
Cherokee$150$129$129$103
Chickasaw$161$139$139$111
Clarke$153$132$132$105
Clay$156$134$134$107
Clayton$160$138$138$110
Clinton$158$136$136$109
Crawford$154$133$133$106
Dallas$185$160$160$128
Davis$167$144$144$115
Decatur$152$131$131$105
Delaware$161$138$138$111
Des Moines$163$141$141$112
Dickinson$165$143$143$114
Dubuque$166$143$143$115
Emmet$154$133$133$106
Fayette$162$140$140$112
Floyd$148$128$128$102
Franklin$153$132$132$105
Fremont$159$137$137$109
Greene$160$138$138$110
Grundy$162$139$139$111
Guthrie$164$141$141$113
Hamilton$161$138$138$111
Hancock$163$141$141$112
Hardin$161$139$139$111
Harrison$166$143$143$114
Henry$154$133$133$106
Howard$153$132$132$106
Humboldt$151$130$130$104
Ida$154$133$133$106
Iowa$160$138$138$110
Jackson$155$133$133$107
Jasper$160$138$138$110
Jefferson$160$138$138$110
Johnson$177$152$152$122
Jones$153$132$132$105
Keokuk$160$138$138$110
Kossuth$160$138$138$110
Lee$157$135$135$108
Linn$166$143$143$114
Louisa$161$139$139$111
Lucas$157$135$135$108
Lyon$163$141$141$113
Madison$169$145$145$116
Mahaska$157$135$135$108
Marion$162$140$140$112
Marshall$161$139$139$111
Mills$163$140$140$112
Mitchell$154$133$133$106
Monona$161$139$139$111
Monroe$155$134$134$107
Montgomery$154$132$132$106
Muscatine$167$144$144$115
O'Brien$152$131$131$105
Osceola$159$137$137$110
Page$155$133$133$107
Palo Alto$149$128$128$103
Plymouth$161$139$139$111
Pocahontas$160$138$138$110
Polk$177$153$153$122
Pottawattamie$168$145$145$116
Poweshiek$161$139$139$111
Ringgold$158$136$136$109
Sac$153$132$132$106
Scott$168$145$145$116
Shelby$164$141$141$113
Sioux$160$138$138$110
Story$170$147$147$117
Tama$166$143$143$114
Taylor$154$133$133$106
Union$153$132$132$105
Van Buren$155$133$133$107
Wapello$165$142$142$113
Warren$169$146$146$117
Washington$162$140$140$112
Wayne$153$132$132$105
Webster$156$134$134$107
Winnebago$151$130$130$104
Winneshiek$157$135$135$108
Woodbury$166$143$143$114
Worth$157$135$135$108
Wright$154$133$133$106

Home daycares: weekly prices by county, 2022

CountyMedian per week, 2022
InfantToddlerPreschoolSchool age
Adair$105$103$103$99
Adams$107$105$105$102
Allamakee$104$103$103$99
Appanoose$105$103$103$99
Audubon$105$103$103$99
Benton$107$105$105$102
Black Hawk$113$111$111$107
Boone$110$108$108$104
Bremer$107$106$106$102
Buchanan$107$105$105$102
Buena Vista$106$104$104$101
Butler$106$104$104$101
Calhoun$104$102$102$98
Carroll$103$101$101$98
Cass$103$101$101$98
Cedar$110$108$108$104
Cerro Gordo$108$106$106$102
Cherokee$101$100$100$96
Chickasaw$106$104$104$101
Clarke$103$101$101$98
Clay$105$103$103$100
Clayton$105$103$103$100
Clinton$107$105$105$101
Crawford$104$102$102$99
Dallas$125$123$123$119
Davis$110$108$108$104
Decatur$100$98$98$95
Delaware$106$104$104$100
Des Moines$110$108$108$105
Dickinson$112$110$110$106
Dubuque$112$110$110$107
Emmet$104$102$102$99
Fayette$106$105$105$101
Floyd$100$98$98$95
Franklin$103$102$102$98
Fremont$104$103$103$99
Greene$108$106$106$103
Grundy$106$104$104$101
Guthrie$108$106$106$103
Hamilton$108$107$107$103
Hancock$107$105$105$102
Hardin$106$104$104$101
Harrison$109$107$107$104
Henry$104$102$102$99
Howard$103$102$102$98
Humboldt$102$100$100$97
Ida$101$100$100$96
Iowa$105$104$104$100
Jackson$104$103$103$99
Jasper$108$106$106$102
Jefferson$108$106$106$103
Johnson$119$117$117$113
Jones$103$101$101$98
Keokuk$105$103$103$100
Kossuth$108$106$106$102
Lee$106$104$104$101
Linn$111$110$110$106
Louisa$106$104$104$101
Lucas$106$104$104$101
Lyon$107$105$105$102
Madison$114$112$112$108
Mahaska$106$104$104$101
Marion$109$108$108$104
Marshall$109$107$107$103
Mills$110$108$108$104
Mitchell$104$102$102$99
Monona$106$104$104$101
Monroe$105$103$103$99
Montgomery$104$102$102$99
Muscatine$113$111$111$107
O'Brien$103$101$101$98
Osceola$107$106$106$102
Page$104$103$103$99
Palo Alto$100$99$99$95
Plymouth$109$107$107$103
Pocahontas$105$103$103$100
Polk$119$117$117$113
Pottawattamie$114$112$112$108
Poweshiek$109$107$107$104
Ringgold$104$102$102$99
Sac$101$99$99$96
Scott$113$111$111$107
Shelby$111$109$109$105
Sioux$108$106$106$103
Story$115$113$113$109
Tama$109$107$107$104
Taylor$101$99$99$96
Union$103$101$101$98
Van Buren$102$100$100$97
Wapello$111$109$109$106
Warren$114$112$112$109
Washington$109$108$108$104
Wayne$100$99$99$95
Webster$105$103$103$100
Winnebago$102$100$100$97
Winneshiek$106$104$104$101
Woodbury$112$110$110$106
Worth$103$102$102$98
Wright$104$102$102$99

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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Questions, answered

How much does child care cost in Iowa?

The Iowa median at a center was $166 a week for an infant in 2022. For a preschooler it was $143.

How much does a home daycare cost in Iowa?

The Iowa median at a home daycare was $112 a week for an infant in 2022. For a preschooler it was $110.

Which Iowa county has the highest center price for infants?

Dallas County, at $185 a week in 2022. The lowest is Floyd County, at $148 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 Iowa 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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