Denver runs above the national median on daycare prices, with Cherry Creek, Hilltop, and Wash Park setting the metro top and a meaningful gap between the inner arc and the Westwood-Montbello-Aurora arc. Boulder, Lakewood, and Cherry Hills Village price more like Cherry Creek than like the rest of the suburbs. Colorado's new Universal Preschool, the long-running Denver Preschool Program, and the state CCCAP subsidy meaningfully change the math for the families they reach. This guide pulls the most recent Denver and Front Range pricing, explains how Universal Preschool, DPP, and CCCAP change the math, and shows where those ranges come from.
In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in Denver runs roughly $1,500 to $2,350 per month for infants and roughly $1,250 to $1,925 per month for preschool-age children. Licensed home-based child care, regulated by CDEC under 12 CCR 2509-8, typically charges 20 to 30 percent less than centers in the same neighborhood. These ranges come from the National Database of Childcare Prices for the Denver metro and the Early Learning Ventures market-rate work, not single-point averages.
Infant care in Denver typically prices 20 to 25 percent above preschool-age care because of staff-to-child ratio rules. CDEC sets the infant ratio at 1:5 for centers, with a maximum group size of 10 for infants. The arithmetic of paying multiple credentialed teachers across small infant rooms is what makes infant rooms the most expensive line item in any Denver center's budget.
| Area | Infant, center | Preschool, center | Family child care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Cherry Hills Village | $2,100–$2,350 / month | $1,725–$1,925 / month | $1,500–$1,700 / month |
| Wash Park, Country Club, Bonnie Brae | $2,000–$2,225 / month | $1,650–$1,850 / month | $1,425–$1,625 / month |
| Boulder (CU Hill, Mapleton Hill, North Boulder) | $2,050–$2,275 / month | $1,700–$1,900 / month | $1,475–$1,675 / month |
| LoHi, Highlands, Berkeley, Sunnyside | $1,875–$2,100 / month | $1,550–$1,750 / month | $1,350–$1,525 / month |
| Capitol Hill, RiNo, Five Points, City Park | $1,800–$2,025 / month | $1,500–$1,700 / month | $1,300–$1,475 / month |
| Park Hill, Stapleton/Central Park, Lowry | $1,750–$1,975 / month | $1,475–$1,675 / month | $1,275–$1,450 / month |
| Englewood, Littleton, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge | $1,675–$1,900 / month | $1,400–$1,600 / month | $1,225–$1,400 / month |
| Aurora (Southlands, Central Aurora) | $1,600–$1,825 / month | $1,350–$1,550 / month | $1,175–$1,350 / month |
| Westwood, Athmar Park, Barnum | $1,525–$1,725 / month | $1,300–$1,475 / month | $1,125–$1,300 / month |
| Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Far Northeast | $1,500–$1,700 / month | $1,250–$1,425 / month | $1,100–$1,275 / month |
These ranges represent licensed care at Colorado Shines level 3 to 5 providers, not subsidized seats. Cherry Creek, Hilltop, and Cherry Hills Village sit at the top of the metro range. Montbello and Green Valley Ranch sit near the bottom, though still above the rural Colorado median. The Boulder city limits run at Cherry Creek pricing because of demand from CU faculty, biotech, and federal-lab families along the 36 corridor.
Denver four-year-olds have two stacking free pre-K paths. Colorado Universal Preschool, administered by CDEC since the 2023-24 school year, offers 10 to 30 hours per week of free pre-K in the year before kindergarten, with 10 hours guaranteed for every four-year-old and up to 30 hours available for four-year-olds who meet at least one qualifying factor (low income, English learner, homelessness, foster care, or an IEP). The Denver Preschool Program, funded by a voter-approved Denver sales tax since 2007, layers tuition credits on top of Universal Preschool for Denver four-year-olds, with the largest credits going to families at lower incomes and to children attending higher-rated programs.
A family typically applies through the Universal Preschool single-application portal and indicates a preferred provider; DPP credits are calculated automatically for Denver-resident four-year-olds at participating sites. Universal Preschool and DPP follow a mixed-delivery model, with seats at Denver Public Schools elementary campuses, community centers, faith-based providers, and licensed family child care homes.
Heads up. Universal Preschool's guaranteed 10 hours per week does not cover the full working week or year. The full 30-hour offer is income-tied and only available at participating providers with capacity. Families who need a full working week typically pair Universal Preschool with wraparound care at the same site, often co-funded by DPP, CCCAP, and out-of-pocket payment. DPP credits also apply to three-year-olds at participating sites at a reduced level.
For infants, toddlers, and the gap before Universal Preschool eligibility, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program is the state subsidy system. CCCAP covers a portion of licensed child care for income-eligible working families, with eligibility at entry up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level and exit up to 85 percent of the state median income. Co-payments are sliding-scale, capped by the county, and reduced for Colorado Shines level 3 to 5 providers. Denver County's CCCAP entry threshold sits at the higher end of Colorado counties' ranges.
Denver Human Services administers local intake. Approved families use a licensed center, a licensed family child care home, or a license-exempt school-age site. Mile High Early Learning and Clayton Early Learning operate community-anchor programs in low-income Denver neighborhoods with sliding-scale tuition on top of CCCAP. Early Learning Ventures, the statewide CCR&R-style shared-services alliance, is the practical first call for many families exploring CCCAP for the first time.
Three federal tools stack on top of any subsidy or Universal Preschool placement: the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit on IRS Form 2441, the Dependent Care FSA at most employers (up to $5,000 per family per year of pre-tax savings), and the federal Child Tax Credit. Colorado has a Child Care Expenses Credit that doubles the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit for families with adjusted gross income under $25,000 and offers a partial credit up to $60,000. Colorado also has a state Child Tax Credit for families with children under six.
A two-earner household at Denver wages typically recovers the full $5,000 Dependent Care FSA benefit, which works out to roughly $1,250 to $1,850 in federal tax savings depending on marginal rate. The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit recovers an additional $600 to $1,200 of qualifying expenses, and the Colorado Child Care Expenses Credit and state Child Tax Credit can add several hundred dollars more for families in the income bands they target.
A two-income Highlands family with a one-year-old in full-time licensed center care spends roughly $1,875 to $2,025 per month, or $22,500 to $24,300 per year, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for Denver County and Early Learning Ventures market-rate work.
If the family qualifies for CCCAP at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, the sliding-scale co-payment lands somewhere around $200 to $400 per month, with CCCAP covering the balance at the provider's Colorado Shines tiered rate.
If the family is over the CCCAP ceiling, the full private rate stands. A Dependent Care FSA recovers $5,000 in pre-tax savings, the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit recovers an additional $600 to $1,200, and the Colorado Child Care Expenses Credit and state Child Tax Credit add several hundred dollars more.
Walk through the cost calculator to model your own Denver year with Universal Preschool, DPP, CCCAP, FSA, and the federal and Colorado credits factored in. Use the comparison checklist and tour questions when you start visiting centers. Read the Colorado Universal Preschool explainer, our subsidized daycare guide, our daycare tax credit explainer, the Colorado state cost overview, and the broader cost pillar.
For neighborhood and listing detail, see daycare in Denver overall and the editorial best daycares in Denver roundup. Cherry Creek, Wash Park, Hilltop, Highlands, LoHi, Stapleton/Central Park, Park Hill, Capitol Hill, Boulder, and Aurora neighborhood guides are in progress.
Neighborhoods, listings, CCCAP-eligible sites, and the full Front Range early-learning landscape.
Read → Pre-KHow Universal Preschool and the Denver Preschool Program work, who qualifies, and how to enroll.
Read → ToolModel your Denver daycare year with CCCAP, FSA, and the federal and Colorado credits factored in.
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