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
A starting point across the state. Explore your county for the more local picture.
Infant care in a center
$274/ week
County sources 2015–2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
Annual care ÷ $74,568 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $2742015 source | $2162015 source |
| Toddler | $2202015 source | $1892015 source |
| Preschool | $2032015 source | $1802015 source |
| School-age | $1502015 source | $1472015 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
Each local page shows available age groups, source years, income context and nearby counties.
| County | Center | Home-based | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | $1,324 | $1,245 | 2022 |
| Baker County | $742 | $723 | 2022 |
| Bay County | $1,139 | $856 | 2022 |
| Bradford County | $927 | $788 | 2022 |
| Brevard County | $1,059 | $1,059 | 2022 |
| Broward County | $1,234 | $980 | 2022 |
| Calhoun County | $1,059 | $841 | 2022 |
| Charlotte County | $1,054 | $1,218 | 2022 |
| Citrus County | $927 | $689 | 2022 |
| Clay County | $1,059 | $927 | 2022 |
| Collier County | $1,193 | $927 | 2022 |
| Columbia County | $826 | $898 | 2022 |
| DeSoto County | $781 | $769 | 2017 |
| Dixie County | $1,071 | $826 | 2017 |
| Duval County | $1,192 | $927 | 2022 |
| Escambia County | $980 | $881 | 2022 |
| Flagler County | $1,165 | $874 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $783 | $572 | 2017 |
| Gadsden County | $728 | $853 | 2022 |
| Gilchrist County | $798 | $892 | 2017 |
| Glades County | $813 | $892 | 2017 |
| Gulf County | $810 | $892 | 2017 |
| Hamilton County | $900 | $953 | 2015 |
| Hardee County | $795 | $753 | 2022 |
| Hendry County | $927 | $847 | 2022 |
| Hernando County | $874 | $795 | 2022 |
| Highlands County | $900 | $853 | 2022 |
| Hillsborough County | $1,271 | $927 | 2022 |
| Holmes County | $854 | $813 | 2017 |
| Indian River County | $980 | $795 | 2022 |
| Jackson County | $1,059 | $892 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County | $795 | $892 | 2022 |
| Lafayette County | $929 | $813 | 2017 |
| Lake County | $1,059 | $927 | 2022 |
| Lee County | $1,059 | $795 | 2022 |
| Leon County | $953 | $795 | 2022 |
| Levy County | $927 | $876 | 2022 |
| Liberty County | $1,117 | $871 | 2017 |
| Madison County | $742 | $662 | 2022 |
| Manatee County | $1,165 | $847 | 2022 |
| Marion County | $980 | $953 | 2022 |
| Martin County | $1,271 | $1,401 | 2022 |
| Miami-Dade County | $1,059 | $795 | 2022 |
| Monroe County | $1,059 | $795 | 2022 |
| Nassau County | $1,006 | $845 | 2022 |
| Okaloosa County | $1,192 | $881 | 2022 |
| Okeechobee County | $1,085 | $768 | 2017 |
| Orange County | $1,192 | $979 | 2022 |
| Osceola County | $1,075 | $795 | 2022 |
| Palm Beach County | $1,616 | $1,059 | 2022 |
| Pasco County | $1,192 | $927 | 2022 |
| Pinellas County | $1,589 | $1,298 | 2022 |
| Polk County | $1,218 | $1,059 | 2022 |
| Putnam County | $832 | $621 | 2022 |
| St. Johns County | $1,483 | $795 | 2022 |
| St. Lucie County | $1,245 | $874 | 2022 |
| Santa Rosa County | $1,245 | $847 | 2022 |
| Sarasota County | $1,112 | $1,059 | 2022 |
| Seminole County | $1,319 | $927 | 2022 |
| Sumter County | $1,192 | $729 | 2022 |
Make it your budget
Use a calculator to compare costs with your own income and provider quotes.
See what a second income leaves after taxes, childcare and commuting.
Open calculator: Worth workingCompare center, home-based care, a nanny and a nanny share—including employer taxes.
Open calculator: Daycare vs. nannyCompare federal tax benefits with the rules for 2025 and 2026.
Open calculator: FSA vs. tax creditCompare your income with published state limits and find the application.
Open calculator: Subsidy income checkHelp paying for care
The January 2025 federal table lists $3,750 per month as the initial income threshold for a family of four.
Current limits and other eligibility rules may differ.
See limits & applicationThe infant center estimate is $1,189 per month. The underlying source is dated 2015 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
The infant home-based estimate is $937 per month, from a 2015 source adjusted to August 2026.
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.
Annual center care divided by $74,568 median household income gives 19.1%. Income comes from 2020–2024 ACS 5-year. The periods differ, so this is an illustrative comparison, not a current household survey.
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.
Retrieved 2026-10-01. The displayed figures are rounded; calculations use unrounded values.
| Age / setting | Source | Original weekly | CPI factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2015–2022 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.