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Daycare costs in Kentucky. About $845/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
$845/ month
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $195
- Monthly
- $845
- Annual
- $10,144
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
15.9%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $63,726 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8452022 source | $6492022 source |
| Toddler | $7452022 source | $5972022 source |
| Preschool | $7452022 source | $5972022 source |
| School-age | $7142022 source | $5712022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Allen County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Anderson County | $801 | $649 | 2022 |
| Ballard County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Barren County | $663 | $611 | 2022 |
| Bath County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Bell County | $532 | $610 | 2022 |
| Boone County | $1,053 | $890 | 2022 |
| Bourbon County | $1,037 | $882 | 2022 |
| Boyd County | $569 | $439 | 2022 |
| Boyle County | $961 | $693 | 2022 |
| Bracken County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Breathitt County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Breckinridge County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Bullitt County | $801 | $649 | 2022 |
| Butler County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Caldwell County | $643 | $628 | 2022 |
| Calloway County | $590 | $592 | 2022 |
| Campbell County | $1,053 | $890 | 2022 |
| Carlisle County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Carroll County | $1,125 | $979 | 2022 |
| Carter County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Casey County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Christian County | $590 | $592 | 2022 |
| Clark County | $961 | $693 | 2022 |
| Clay County | $562 | $598 | 2022 |
| Clinton County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Crittenden County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Cumberland County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Daviess County | $663 | $611 | 2022 |
| Edmonson County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Elliott County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Estill County | $1,080 | $797 | 2022 |
| Fayette County | $976 | $700 | 2022 |
| Fleming County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Floyd County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $713 | $543 | 2022 |
| Fulton County | $643 | $628 | 2022 |
| Gallatin County | $1,177 | $987 | 2022 |
| Garrard County | $1,080 | $797 | 2022 |
| Grant County | $1,125 | $979 | 2022 |
| Graves County | $590 | $592 | 2022 |
| Grayson County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Green County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Greenup County | $569 | $439 | 2022 |
| Hancock County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Hardin County | $801 | $649 | 2022 |
| Harlan County | $532 | $592 | 2022 |
| Harrison County | $1,125 | $979 | 2022 |
| Hart County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Henderson County | $663 | $611 | 2022 |
| Henry County | $842 | $655 | 2022 |
| Hickman County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Hopkins County | $643 | $628 | 2022 |
| Jackson County | $562 | $598 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County | $1,145 | $624 | 2022 |
| Jessamine County | $961 | $693 | 2022 |
| Johnson County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Kenton County | $1,053 | $890 | 2022 |
| Knott County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
City pages in Kentucky
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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 Kentucky.
The January 2025 federal table lists $6,822 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 Kentucky.
How much does daycare cost per month in Kentucky?
The infant center estimate is $845 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 $649 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 $63,726 median household income gives 15.9%. 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 Kentucky?
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.