TL;DR
Daycare prices "near you" vary by ZIP, age, and care type. Median monthly costs in 2026 run $700 to $3,200. The fastest way to find your real local number: enter your ZIP into our cost calculator, then verify against quotes from two or three licensed providers within five miles.
If you searched "daycare prices near me," you are at one of the four moments most parents share: pregnancy planning, return-to-work countdown, an unexpected move, or your current provider just raised tuition. This page gives you the real-world ranges for your area, the metro lookup table, and a workflow to nail the actual number in your ZIP code.
There are three reliable ways to get accurate local prices. We recommend doing all three for the most expensive purchase your family will make for the next five years.
Below are 2026 median full-time monthly rates for infant care at licensed centers in the 25 largest US metros. Family child care homes typically run 15 to 30 percent below these numbers; preschool-age care runs 25 to 40 percent below.
| Metro | Median infant center monthly | City guide |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $2,600 to $3,200 | See guide |
| San Francisco, CA | $2,400 to $3,100 | See guide |
| Boston, MA | $2,400 to $2,900 | See guide |
| Washington, DC | $2,300 to $2,800 | See guide |
| Seattle, WA | $2,200 to $2,700 | See guide |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,800 to $2,400 | See guide |
| Chicago, IL | $1,700 to $2,300 | See guide |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,500 to $2,100 | See guide |
| Denver, CO | $1,500 to $2,100 | See guide |
| Portland, OR | $1,500 to $2,000 | See guide |
| Austin, TX | $1,400 to $2,000 | See guide |
| Philadelphia, PA | $1,400 to $1,900 | See guide |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,300 to $1,800 | See guide |
| Dallas, TX | $1,300 to $1,800 | See guide |
| Houston, TX | $1,200 to $1,700 | See guide |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,200 to $1,600 | See guide |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,100 to $1,500 | See guide |
| Tampa, FL | $1,100 to $1,500 | See guide |
| Miami, FL | $1,200 to $1,700 | See guide |
| Indianapolis, IN | $1,000 to $1,400 | See guide |
Five things move daycare price inside a metro, not just across metros.
If the calculator returns a number you cannot stretch to, here are the five highest-leverage moves to lower it without sacrificing quality.
For the complete decision framework, see our affordable daycare options guide.
Fast track: Use the cost calculator first to anchor a local range, then call two or three providers within five miles. You will have an accurate price-and-affordability picture in under an hour.
When you ask for prices, ask about the all-in number, not just monthly tuition. Common add-ons:
A 5-minute call gets you 80 percent of the way to an accurate quote. Ask, in order:
If a center quotes you 20 percent or more above what our calculator suggests for your ZIP, three things to check:
If none of those apply and you cannot find another local center charging the same number, you have leverage to negotiate or to walk.
Beyond our calculator, two free tools we recommend:
Lower tuition is not always the better choice. A program that costs $1,400 a month with low staff turnover, NAEYC accreditation, and a clean inspection record can be a better long-term value than a $1,000 program with annual staff changes and open licensing complaints. Use price as a filter, not a decision. Combine it with a tour, a license lookup, and a staff turnover question every time.
As an example, here is what running prices in your area might look like for a Denver family with a 14-month-old. Median operator data in our calculator for 80210 puts the licensed center toddler tuition at $1,650 to $2,000 a month. A nearby NAEYC-accredited center quotes $1,950 plus $300 registration and a $200 supply fee, all in around $2,200 in month one and $1,970 ongoing. A licensed family child care home a half-mile away quotes $1,400 monthly with a $100 registration. A church-based program 1.5 miles away quotes $1,300 with sliding-scale options.
Decision: the family chose the family child care home for $1,400 plus the FSA and CDCC, landing on a net out-of-pocket of about $1,140 a month, or 35 percent below the accredited center's sticker.
Three reliable approaches: (1) call three centers within five miles for tuition sheets, (2) check your state's child care resource and referral agency for posted market rates, and (3) use our cost calculator with your ZIP code. The combination gives a 90 percent accurate local range in under an hour.
It depends on metro and child age. In 2026, US weekly averages run from $160 (rural family child care, preschooler) to $750 (urban accredited infant center). The national median is about $310 a week. Enter your ZIP into our calculator for a local estimate.
Most centers tier pricing by age, schedule, and discount eligibility, which makes a clean public price list awkward. Some hide pricing to ensure they speak to families directly before quoting. About 35 percent of centers publish full price sheets online in 2026.
Usually yes, by 15 to 30 percent compared to the urban core of the same metro, especially for infant care. Rural family child care can be 40 to 60 percent cheaper than urban centers. The trade-off is fewer choices and often shorter operating hours.
Compare it against three benchmarks: (1) the median rate for that age and care type in your state, (2) what two other licensed providers within five miles charge, and (3) Child Care Aware's annual report for your state. If the quote is more than 25 percent above the local median without a clear quality justification, it is on the high side.
For more depth, see our cost pillar, 2026 cost breakdown, and your city guide.
Get a ZIP-code estimate of your real monthly daycare cost in 60 seconds.
Try the calculator → Pillar guideHow daycare pricing works nationally, and how to build a realistic budget.
Read the guide → BlogSubsidies, FSAs, tax credits, and discounts that lower your real out-of-pocket.
Read the article →Get our free daycare starter kit — the 27-question tour checklist, a cost-comparison worksheet, and what to ask about waitlists. One email, no spam.
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