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
$877/ month
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
Annual care ÷ $77,800 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8772022 source | $6742022 source |
| Toddler | $8442022 source | $6662022 source |
| Preschool | $7742022 source | $6172022 source |
| School-age | $7382022 source | $6202022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | $1,102 | $768 | 2022 |
| Adams County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Bannock County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Bear Lake County | $916 | $709 | 2022 |
| Benewah County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Bingham County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Blaine County | $1,102 | $768 | 2022 |
| Boise County | $806 | $632 | 2022 |
| Bonner County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Bonneville County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Boundary County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Butte County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Camas County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Canyon County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Caribou County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Cassia County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Clark County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Clearwater County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Custer County | $562 | $502 | 2022 |
| Elmore County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Fremont County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Gem County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Gooding County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Idaho County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Jerome County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Kootenai County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Latah County | $1,102 | $768 | 2022 |
| Lemhi County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Lewis County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Lincoln County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Madison County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Minidoka County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Nez Perce County | $881 | $689 | 2022 |
| Oneida County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Owyhee County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Payette County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Power County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Shoshone County | $638 | $558 | 2022 |
| Teton County | $1,102 | $768 | 2022 |
| Twin Falls County | $672 | $579 | 2022 |
| Valley County | $806 | $632 | 2022 |
| Washington County | $672 | $579 | 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 $4,375 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 $877 per month. The underlying source is dated 2022 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
The infant home-based estimate is $674 per month, from a 2022 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 $77,800 median household income gives 13.5%. 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 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.