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
$697/ 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 ÷ $56,447 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $6972022 source | $4132018 source |
| Toddler | $6432022 source | $4132018 source |
| Preschool | $6122022 source | $3572018 source |
| School-age | $5382022 source | $2892018 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rankin County | $769 | $525 | 2022 |
| Scott County | $618 | $352 | 2022 |
| Sharkey County | $624 | $317 | 2022 |
| Simpson County | $807 | $361 | 2022 |
| Smith County | $624 | $316 | 2022 |
| Stone County | $804 | $362 | 2022 |
| Sunflower County | $622 | $346 | 2022 |
| Tallahatchie County | $630 | $294 | 2022 |
| Tate County | $802 | $380 | 2022 |
| Tippah County | $626 | $303 | 2022 |
| Tishomingo County | $627 | $306 | 2022 |
| Tunica County | $797 | $412 | 2022 |
| Union County | $614 | $370 | 2022 |
| Walthall County | $625 | $333 | 2022 |
| Warren County | $606 | $390 | 2022 |
| Washington County | $613 | $369 | 2022 |
| Wayne County | $629 | $290 | 2022 |
| Webster County | $626 | $302 | 2022 |
| Wilkinson County | $630 | $283 | 2022 |
| Winston County | $615 | $376 | 2022 |
| Yalobusha County | $629 | $305 | 2022 |
| Yazoo County | $813 | $323 | 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 $5,145 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 $697 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 $413 per month, from a 2018 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 $56,447 median household income gives 14.8%. 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 2018–2018 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2018–2018 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2018–2018 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 2018–2018 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.