Las Vegas runs in the middle-low end of the major-metro range on daycare prices, comparable to Phoenix and Tucson and well below Los Angeles or Denver, with Summerlin, the Lakes, Lone Mountain, MacDonald Ranch, Anthem (Henderson), and Inspirada setting the metro top. North Las Vegas, parts of east Las Vegas, and the Boulder Highway corridor sit at the bottom. Nevada does not have universal pre-K — Nevada Ready! covers at-risk four-year-olds — and Las Vegas's 24-hour resort economy also means meaningful weekend, evening, and overnight care availability that no other major U.S. metro can match.
In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in Las Vegas runs roughly $1,075 to $1,500 per month for infants and roughly $900 to $1,200 per month for preschool-age children. Licensed family child care homes, regulated under NAC 432A.230 with caps of six children, typically charge 25 to 35 percent less than centers in the same neighborhood. These ranges come from the National Database of Childcare Prices for the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise metro and Las Vegas Urban League market-rate work, not single-point averages.
Infant care in Las Vegas typically prices 20 to 30 percent above preschool-age care because of Nevada's ratio rules. The state sets the center infant ratio at 1:4 for children under 12 months under NAC 432A, with a group-size cap of eight infants. The arithmetic of paying multiple credentialed teachers across small infant rooms is the largest single driver of Las Vegas center costs, particularly at Silver State Stars 4- and 5-Star sites. Centers serving the Strip workforce often run extended-hour or 24-hour licensing under separate NAC 432A provisions, which carries a wage premium for evening, overnight, and weekend coverage.
| Area | Infant, center | Preschool, center | Family child care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summerlin, the Lakes, Red Rock Country Club | $1,375–$1,500 / month | $1,100–$1,200 / month | $950–$1,075 / month |
| MacDonald Ranch, Anthem, Inspirada, Seven Hills (Henderson) | $1,325–$1,450 / month | $1,075–$1,175 / month | $925–$1,050 / month |
| Lone Mountain, Centennial Hills, Skye Canyon | $1,275–$1,400 / month | $1,050–$1,150 / month | $900–$1,025 / month |
| Green Valley, Green Valley Ranch (Henderson) | $1,225–$1,350 / month | $1,025–$1,125 / month | $875–$1,000 / month |
| Mountain's Edge, Southern Highlands, Enterprise | $1,200–$1,325 / month | $1,000–$1,100 / month | $850–$975 / month |
| Spring Valley, the Arts District, Downtown | $1,175–$1,300 / month | $975–$1,075 / month | $825–$950 / month |
| Paradise, Strip-adjacent corridor, McCarran environs | $1,150–$1,275 / month | $950–$1,050 / month | $800–$925 / month |
| Aliante, Eldorado, North Las Vegas (north) | $1,125–$1,250 / month | $925–$1,025 / month | $775–$900 / month |
| Sunrise, east Las Vegas, Whitney | $1,100–$1,200 / month | $900–$975 / month | $750–$850 / month |
| North Las Vegas (central/south), Boulder Highway corridor | $1,075–$1,175 / month | $900–$975 / month | $725–$825 / month |
These ranges represent licensed care at Silver State Stars 3-, 4-, and 5-Star centers and similarly accredited sites, not subsidized seats or unrated providers. Summerlin, MacDonald Ranch, Anthem, Inspirada, and Lone Mountain sit at the top of the metro range. Central and south North Las Vegas and the Boulder Highway corridor sit at the bottom — though still above the rural Nevada median. Extended-hour and 24-hour Strip-workforce centers in Paradise, Spring Valley, and east Las Vegas often add a 10 to 20 percent surcharge for evening, overnight, and weekend coverage beyond the standard 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. day.
If your child is four during the school year and your household meets the income or risk-factor criteria, Nevada Ready! Pre-K materially changes the math. The program, administered by the Nevada Department of Education Office of Early Learning and Development, pays for a free pre-K seat at a Silver State Stars 3-, 4-, or 5-Star provider for at-risk four-year-olds — defined to include income-qualifying households, English learners, and children with developmental delay or disability identified under IDEA Part B 619. The Clark County School District (CCSD) Office of Early Learning runs Nevada Ready! Pre-K classrooms in district elementary schools across Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.
Federally funded Head Start operates locally through Acelero Learning of Nevada / Shine Early Learning (the Clark County grantee) and CCSD partner sites, with full-day Early Head Start options for children under three. Nellis Air Force Base families have separate on-base CDC access through 99th Force Support Squadron Child and Youth Programs on East Tyndall Avenue, and Creech AFB families to the northwest have a smaller on-base CDC operation.
Heads up. Nevada Ready! Pre-K is not universal. The state legislature has signaled multi-year interest in expanding toward universal four-year-old pre-K through AB 449 and related funding bills, but as of the 2025-2026 school year the program remains targeted. If your four-year-old is outside the at-risk categories, the seat is private-pay or CCDP-subsidized. CCSD also runs district-funded preschool at selected sites independent of Nevada Ready!.
For infants, toddlers, and four-year-olds outside Nevada Ready!, Nevada's Child Care Development Program (CCDP) is the federal CCDF subsidy. CCDP covers a portion of licensed child care for working families up to 85 percent of state median income at entry, administered by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services and processed locally by the Las Vegas Urban League (the Southern Nevada CCR&R). Co-payments are sliding-scale and capped. Approved families must use a CCDP-enrolled provider.
Silver State Stars, the Nevada QRIS under the Nevada Registry, runs five tiers — 1-Star (licensed) through 5-Star (national accreditation, typically NAEYC). CCDP reimbursement rates rise with each star level, and Nevada Ready! requires 3-Star or above. When you tour a Summerlin, Anthem, or Green Valley center, the Silver State Stars rating is the single most useful state-published quality signal. The Las Vegas Urban League publishes searchable provider lists and star ratings for Clark County.
Nevada has no state income tax, so the credit math is simpler than in most of the country. Three federal tools stack on top of any Nevada Ready! placement or CCDP subsidy: 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. There is no state-level Child and Dependent Care Credit and no state Child Tax Credit. MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Boyd Gaming, UnitedHealthcare/Sierra Health, UNLV, Switch, Allegiant, and most major Las Vegas employers offer a Dependent Care FSA.
A two-earner Las Vegas household typically recovers the full $5,000 Dependent Care FSA benefit, which works out to roughly $1,250 to $1,550 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 on top.
A two-income Summerlin family with a one-year-old in full-time licensed center care spends roughly $1,375 to $1,500 per month, or $16,500 to $18,000 per year, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for Clark County and Las Vegas Urban League market-rate work.
If the family qualifies for CCDP — household income at or below 85 percent of state median income — the sliding-scale co-payment lands somewhere around $150 to $325 per month, with CCDP covering the balance at the provider's Silver State Stars reimbursement rate.
If the family is over the CCDP 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 federal Child Tax Credit applies for each qualifying child under 17. Strip-workforce families on swing or graveyard shifts should check whether their employer's benefits include any in-house extended-hour CCR&R referral — MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have both piloted on-site or near-site care programs at various points.
Walk through the cost calculator to model your own Las Vegas year with Nevada Ready!, CCDP, FSA, and the federal credits factored in. Use the comparison checklist and tour questions when you start visiting centers. Read the Nevada Ready! Pre-K explainer, our subsidized daycare guide, the 24-hour daycare guide (useful for Strip-workforce families), the Nevada state cost overview, and the broader cost pillar.
For neighborhood and listing detail, see daycare in Las Vegas overall and the editorial best daycares in Las Vegas roundup. Summerlin, MacDonald Ranch, Anthem, Centennial Hills, and Green Valley neighborhood guides are in progress.
Neighborhoods, listings, CCDP-enrolled sites, and the full Las Vegas early-learning landscape.
Read → Pre-KHow Nevada's targeted pre-K program works, who qualifies, and how to apply through CCSD.
Read → Care typeExtended-hour, evening, and overnight care for Strip-workforce families and shift workers.
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