Is it worth going back to work?
See what a second income leaves after taxes, childcare and commuting.
Open calculator: Worth workingDaycare costs by state
Daycare costs in California. About $1,963/month for infant center care, CPI adjusted to August 2026.
A starting point across the state. Explore your county for the more local picture.
Infant care in a center
$23,562/ year
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $453
- Monthly
- $1,963
- Annual
- $23,562
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
23.8%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $99,122 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $23,5622022 source | $18,4472022 source |
| Toddler | $16,6122022 source | $16,0532022 source |
| Preschool | $16,0362022 source | $16,0392022 source |
| School-age | $13,8832022 source | $13,4962022 source |
One child. Weekly × 52 ÷ 12 for monthly; weekly × 52 for annual. School-age coverage varies and often means care around school hours. Age definitions.
Population-weighted mean of available county medians. Each county is adjusted before averaging. Coverage varies by age and setting; this is not an official statewide median.
Get closer to home
Explore your county.
Each local page shows available age groups, source years, income context and nearby counties.
| County | Center | Home-based | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $2,733 | $1,910 | 2022 |
| Alpine County | $1,885 | $1,070 | 2022 |
| Amador County | $1,245 | $1,145 | 2022 |
| Butte County | $1,875 | $1,542 | 2022 |
| Calaveras County | $1,541 | $1,291 | 2022 |
| Colusa County | $1,402 | $1,271 | 2022 |
| Contra Costa County | $2,552 | $1,688 | 2022 |
| Del Norte County | $1,189 | $1,222 | 2022 |
| El Dorado County | $2,383 | $1,970 | 2022 |
| Fresno County | $2,201 | $1,563 | 2022 |
| Glenn County | $1,262 | $1,116 | 2022 |
| Humboldt County | $1,940 | $1,338 | 2022 |
| Imperial County | $1,175 | $1,005 | 2022 |
| Inyo County | $1,911 | $1,318 | 2022 |
| Kern County | $1,868 | $1,258 | 2022 |
| Kings County | $1,380 | $1,155 | 2022 |
| Lake County | $1,385 | $1,228 | 2022 |
| Lassen County | $1,189 | $1,219 | 2022 |
| Los Angeles County | $1,361 | $1,506 | 2022 |
| Madera County | $1,756 | $1,250 | 2022 |
| Marin County | $2,904 | $2,078 | 2022 |
| Mariposa County | $1,347 | $1,227 | 2022 |
| Mendocino County | $1,473 | $1,269 | 2022 |
| Merced County | $1,295 | $1,222 | 2022 |
| Modoc County | $1,189 | $1,088 | 2022 |
| Mono County | $1,960 | $1,564 | 2022 |
| Monterey County | $2,134 | $1,688 | 2022 |
| Napa County | $1,997 | $1,390 | 2022 |
| Nevada County | $1,678 | $1,156 | 2022 |
| Orange County | $2,085 | $1,589 | 2022 |
| Placer County | $2,378 | $2,062 | 2022 |
| Plumas County | $1,189 | $1,219 | 2022 |
| Riverside County | $2,144 | $1,225 | 2022 |
| Sacramento County | $1,838 | $1,282 | 2022 |
| San Benito County | $2,045 | $1,255 | 2022 |
| San Bernardino County | $2,035 | $1,434 | 2022 |
| San Diego County | $2,009 | $1,329 | 2022 |
| San Francisco County | $3,213 | $2,094 | 2022 |
| San Joaquin County | $2,048 | $1,738 | 2022 |
| San Luis Obispo County | $1,914 | $1,303 | 2022 |
| San Mateo County | $2,937 | $1,986 | 2022 |
| Santa Barbara County | $2,397 | $1,923 | 2022 |
| Santa Clara County | $2,792 | $1,911 | 2022 |
| Santa Cruz County | $2,526 | $2,159 | 2022 |
| Shasta County | $1,315 | $1,104 | 2022 |
| Sierra County | $1,189 | $1,088 | 2022 |
| Siskiyou County | $1,406 | $1,015 | 2022 |
| Solano County | $2,244 | $1,943 | 2022 |
| Sonoma County | $1,288 | $1,516 | 2022 |
| Stanislaus County | $1,676 | $1,612 | 2022 |
| Sutter County | $1,624 | $1,163 | 2022 |
| Tehama County | $1,249 | $1,174 | 2022 |
| Trinity County | $1,189 | $1,285 | 2022 |
| Tulare County | $1,273 | $1,304 | 2022 |
| Tuolumne County | $1,427 | $1,275 | 2022 |
| Ventura County | $2,250 | $1,386 | 2022 |
| Yolo County | $2,051 | $1,378 | 2022 |
| Yuba County | $1,934 | $1,448 | 2022 |
City pages in California
Make it your budget
Put the numbers
to work.
Use a calculator to compare costs with your own income and provider quotes.
Daycare vs. nanny
Compare center, home-based care, a nanny and a nanny share—including employer taxes.
Open calculator: Daycare vs. nannyDependent care FSA vs. tax credit
Compare federal tax benefits with the rules for 2025 and 2026.
Open calculator: FSA vs. tax creditChildcare subsidy income check
Compare your income with published state limits and find the application.
Open calculator: Subsidy income checkHelp paying for care
Check the assistance
available in California.
The January 2025 federal table lists $8,712 per month as the initial income threshold for a family of four.
Current limits and other eligibility rules may differ.
See limits & applicationQuestions about care
in California.
How much does daycare cost per month in California?
The infant center estimate is $1,963 per month. The underlying source is dated 2022 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
How much is home-based childcare?
The infant home-based estimate is $1,537 per month, from a 2022 source adjusted to August 2026.
Does the estimate include deposits and extra fees?
The county figure is a tuition benchmark. Deposits, registration, supplies, meals, late pickup and paid closures may be billed separately. Ask for a written payment schedule.
What does the share of income mean?
Annual center care divided by $99,122 median household income gives 23.8%. Income comes from 2020–2024 ACS 5-year. The periods differ, so this is an illustrative comparison, not a current household survey.
Can I get help paying for daycare in California?
The state assistance page links to the current program. Income is only one part of eligibility; work or education, your child’s age, assets and available funding can also matter.
Sources behind this page.
Retrieved 2026-10-01. The displayed figures are rounded; calculations use unrounded values.
| Age / setting | Source | Original weekly | CPI factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
CPI: BLS CUUR0000SEEB03, August 2026 index 403.749, divided by the source-year annual index. NDCP values may be age-derived, converted, clustered or imputed. Read the method and limitations.
Income: 2020–2024 ACS 5-year, median household B19013 and median family B19113. Income is not CPI adjusted.
Subsidy: ACF January 2025 initial income table; confirm current rules through the state application.