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Open calculator: Worth workingDaycare costs by state
Daycare costs in Montana. About $1,180/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
$1,180/ month
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $272
- Monthly
- $1,180
- Annual
- $14,158
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
19.5%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $72,509 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,1802022 source | $9492022 source |
| Toddler | $1,2342022 source | $9712022 source |
| Preschool | $1,0552022 source | $9712022 source |
| School-age | $1,0552022 source | $8982022 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.
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Explore your county.
Each local page shows available age groups, source years, income context and nearby counties.
| County | Center | Home-based | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead County | $1,126 | $910 | 2022 |
| Big Horn County | $1,154 | $908 | 2022 |
| Blaine County | $1,147 | $901 | 2022 |
| Broadwater County | $1,170 | $921 | 2022 |
| Carbon County | $1,169 | $922 | 2022 |
| Carter County | $1,120 | $882 | 2022 |
| Cascade County | $1,166 | $943 | 2022 |
| Chouteau County | $1,131 | $889 | 2022 |
| Custer County | $1,266 | $1,021 | 2022 |
| Daniels County | $1,042 | $822 | 2022 |
| Dawson County | $1,195 | $964 | 2022 |
| Deer Lodge County | $1,102 | $889 | 2022 |
| Fallon County | $1,243 | $977 | 2022 |
| Fergus County | $1,109 | $898 | 2022 |
| Flathead County | $1,176 | $953 | 2022 |
| Gallatin County | $1,257 | $1,020 | 2022 |
| Garfield County | $1,140 | $896 | 2022 |
| Glacier County | $1,099 | $886 | 2022 |
| Golden Valley County | $1,183 | $933 | 2022 |
| Granite County | $1,124 | $884 | 2022 |
| Hill County | $1,116 | $902 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County | $1,211 | $955 | 2022 |
| Judith Basin County | $1,106 | $870 | 2022 |
| Lake County | $1,195 | $940 | 2022 |
| Lewis and Clark County | $1,144 | $927 | 2022 |
| Liberty County | $1,156 | $908 | 2022 |
| Lincoln County | $1,187 | $934 | 2022 |
| McCone County | $1,128 | $887 | 2022 |
| Madison County | $1,249 | $983 | 2022 |
| Meagher County | $1,105 | $870 | 2022 |
| Mineral County | $1,164 | $915 | 2022 |
| Missoula County | $1,157 | $938 | 2022 |
| Musselshell County | $1,260 | $990 | 2022 |
| Park County | $1,146 | $927 | 2022 |
| Petroleum County | $1,137 | $893 | 2022 |
| Phillips County | $1,145 | $900 | 2022 |
| Pondera County | $1,153 | $931 | 2022 |
| Powder River County | $1,215 | $955 | 2022 |
| Powell County | $1,148 | $927 | 2022 |
| Prairie County | $1,186 | $933 | 2022 |
| Ravalli County | $1,193 | $940 | 2022 |
| Richland County | $1,131 | $915 | 2022 |
| Roosevelt County | $1,110 | $896 | 2022 |
| Rosebud County | $1,160 | $912 | 2022 |
| Sanders County | $1,132 | $891 | 2022 |
| Sheridan County | $1,223 | $961 | 2022 |
| Silver Bow County | $1,145 | $921 | 2022 |
| Stillwater County | $1,243 | $978 | 2022 |
| Sweet Grass County | $1,147 | $903 | 2022 |
| Teton County | $1,275 | $1,002 | 2022 |
| Toole County | $1,092 | $882 | 2022 |
| Treasure County | $1,346 | $1,057 | 2022 |
| Valley County | $1,109 | $895 | 2022 |
| Wheatland County | $1,171 | $920 | 2022 |
| Wibaux County | $1,305 | $1,026 | 2022 |
| Yellowstone County | $1,201 | $972 | 2022 |
City pages in Montana
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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 Montana.
The January 2025 federal table lists $4,810 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 Montana.
How much does daycare cost per month in Montana?
The infant center estimate is $1,180 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 $949 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 $72,509 median household income gives 19.5%. 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 Montana?
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.