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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
$264/ week
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 | $2642016 source | $1752016 source |
| Toddler | $2092016 source | $1442016 source |
| Preschool | $2092016 source | $1442016 source |
| School-age | $1712016 source | $1342016 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 | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Andrew County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Atchison County | $362 | Not available | 2018 |
| Audrain County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Barry County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Barton County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Bates County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Benton County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Bollinger County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Boone County | $642 | $507 | 2016 |
| Buchanan County | $657 | Not available | 2016 |
| Butler County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Caldwell County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Callaway County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Camden County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Cape Girardeau County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Carroll County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Carter County | $329 | Not available | 2018 |
| Cass County | $565 | Not available | 2016 |
| Cedar County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Chariton County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Christian County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Clark County | Not available | $588 | Not reported |
| Clay County | $1,300 | Not available | 2020 |
| Clinton County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Cole County | $518 | Not available | 2016 |
| Cooper County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Crawford County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Dade County | $789 | Not available | 2018 |
| Dallas County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Daviess County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| DeKalb County | $298 | Not available | 2018 |
| Dent County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Douglas County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Dunklin County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Franklin County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Gasconade County | $731 | Not available | 2018 |
| Gentry County | $423 | Not available | 2018 |
| Greene County | $804 | Not available | 2020 |
| Grundy County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Harrison County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Henry County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Hickory County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Holt County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Howard County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Howell County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Iron County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Jackson County | $1,182 | $873 | 2020 |
| Jasper County | $571 | Not available | 2016 |
| Jefferson County | $1,100 | Not available | 2020 |
| Johnson County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Knox County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Laclede County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Lafayette County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Lawrence County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Lewis County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Lincoln County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Linn County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| Livingston County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
| McDonald County | Not available | Not available | Not reported |
City pages in Missouri
Make it your budget
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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.