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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | $532 | $592 | 2022 |
| Larue County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Laurel County | $532 | $592 | 2022 |
| Lawrence County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Lee County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Leslie County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Letcher County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Lewis County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Lincoln County | $1,080 | $797 | 2022 |
| Livingston County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Logan County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Lyon County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| McCracken County | $590 | $592 | 2022 |
| McCreary County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| McLean County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Madison County | $961 | $693 | 2022 |
| Magoffin County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Marion County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Marshall County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Martin County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Mason County | $569 | $439 | 2022 |
| Meade County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Menifee County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Mercer County | $1,031 | $791 | 2022 |
| Metcalfe County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Monroe County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Montgomery County | $569 | $421 | 2022 |
| Morgan County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Muhlenberg County | $643 | $628 | 2022 |
| Nelson County | $854 | $684 | 2022 |
| Nicholas County | $1,177 | $987 | 2022 |
| Ohio County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Oldham County | $801 | $649 | 2022 |
| Owen County | $1,177 | $987 | 2022 |
| Owsley County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Pendleton County | $1,177 | $987 | 2022 |
| Perry County | $601 | $443 | 2022 |
| Pike County | $601 | $443 | 2022 |
| Powell County | $1,031 | $791 | 2022 |
| Pulaski County | $552 | $486 | 2022 |
| Robertson County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Rockcastle County | $562 | $598 | 2022 |
| Rowan County | $569 | $421 | 2022 |
| Russell County | $509 | $598 | 2022 |
| Scott County | $1,125 | $979 | 2022 |
| Shelby County | $801 | $649 | 2022 |
| Simpson County | $716 | $647 | 2022 |
| Spencer County | $842 | $655 | 2022 |
| Taylor County | $552 | $486 | 2022 |
| Todd County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Trigg County | $677 | $633 | 2022 |
| Trimble County | $842 | $655 | 2022 |
| Union County | $716 | $647 | 2022 |
| Warren County | $663 | $611 | 2022 |
| Washington County | $895 | $690 | 2022 |
| Wayne County | $479 | $592 | 2022 |
| Webster County | $753 | $652 | 2022 |
| Whitley County | $532 | $592 | 2022 |
| Wolfe County | $601 | $425 | 2022 |
| Woodford County | $801 | $649 | 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.