Daycare startup costs in Missouri.
Plan a child care center’s monthly numbers in Missouri. Typical prices, pay and ratios are filled in, and you can change any of them.
Sources: National Database of Childcare Prices, U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Your estimate
Add spots by age group to see your estimate.
Estimates from your own numbers. This is not financial or legal advice.
What we filled in for Missouri
Each figure with its source and year. Change any of them in the calculator.
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Plan your program
- Child care prices in Missouri
Weekly prices in every county.
- How to start a daycare in Missouri
The steps, from license to opening day.
- Missouri licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- Startup costs in another state
Pick any state.
Questions, answered
How much does it cost to open a daycare in Missouri?
It depends on your building, size and plan. Type your own setup costs to see the months to cover them.
How much do daycare workers make in Missouri?
Childcare workers earned a median of $14.80 an hour in May 2025. Preschool teachers earned $17.35.
How much do child care centers charge in Missouri?
The state median was $215 a week for an infant in 2020. For a preschooler it was $169.
How many staff does a daycare need in Missouri?
For infants, the strictest ratio is 1 adult per 4 children. For preschoolers it is 1 per 10.
Is owning a daycare profitable?
It depends on enrollment, tuition, pay and rent. The calculator shows what is left each month from your own numbers.
Where the numbers come from
Tuition starts at the state’s median weekly center price, 2020, from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Pay starts at the state’s median pay, May 2025, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lead teachers use preschool teacher pay, assistants use childcare worker pay, and directors use their own.
Ratios are the state licensing rules on our licensing pages, last changed June 18, 2026.
Each age group uses the strictest ratio the state sets for any age in it.
Spots, hours, rent and setup costs are your own numbers.
Staff pay is pay only. It leaves out payroll taxes, benefits and paid time off.
Every result is an estimate from your own numbers. It is not financial or legal advice.
Questions about childcare in Missouri?
Tell us what you run or plan to open. A person on our team answers.