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
Daycare costs in Missouri. About $1,142/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
$1,142/ month
County sources 2016–2020 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $264
- Monthly
- $1,142
- Annual
- $13,707
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
19.4%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $70,702 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,1422016 source | $7572016 source |
| Toddler | $9042016 source | $6252016 source |
| Preschool | $9062016 source | $6252016 source |
| School-age | $7412016 source | $5812016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Madison County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Maries County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Marion County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Mercer County | $164 | Not available | 2018 |
| Miller County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Mississippi County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Moniteau County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Monroe County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Montgomery County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Morgan County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| New Madrid County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Newton County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Nodaway County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Oregon County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Osage County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Ozark County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Pemiscot County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Perry County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Pettis County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Phelps County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Pike County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Platte County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Polk County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Pulaski County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Putnam County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Ralls County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Randolph County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Ray County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Reynolds County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Ripley County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| St. Charles County | $1,206 | Not available | 2020 |
| St. Clair County | Not available | $460 | Not reported |
| Ste. Genevieve County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| St. Francois County | $425 | Not available | 2016 |
| St. Louis County | $1,537 | $707 | 2020 |
| Saline County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Schuyler County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Scotland County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Scott County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Shannon County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Shelby County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Stoddard County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Stone County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Sullivan County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Taney County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Texas County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Vernon County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Warren County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Washington County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Wayne County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Webster County | Not available | $564 | Not reported |
| Worth County | $559 | Not available | 2018 |
| Wright County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| St. Louis City | $1,229 | $846 | 2020 |
City pages in Missouri
Make it your budget
Put the numbers
to work.
Use a calculator to compare costs with your own income and provider quotes.
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 Missouri.
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 & applicationQuestions about care
in Missouri.
How much does daycare cost per month in Missouri?
The infant center estimate is $1,142 per month. The underlying source is dated 2016 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 $757 per month, from a 2016 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 $70,702 median household income gives 19.4%. 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 Missouri?
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 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2016–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2016–2020 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.