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 New Jersey. About $1,627/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
$19,530/ year
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $376
- Monthly
- $1,627
- Annual
- $19,530
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
18.9%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $103,556 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $19,5302022 source | $12,4152022 source |
| Toddler | $19,0902022 source | $12,6262022 source |
| Preschool | $19,0902022 source | $11,8192022 source |
| School-age | $9,1572022 source | $10,4442022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | $1,518 | $955 | 2022 |
| Bergen County | $1,683 | $1,063 | 2022 |
| Burlington County | $1,606 | $1,047 | 2022 |
| Camden County | $1,492 | $960 | 2022 |
| Cape May County | $1,497 | $970 | 2022 |
| Cumberland County | $1,517 | $932 | 2022 |
| Essex County | $1,568 | $983 | 2022 |
| Gloucester County | $1,608 | $1,002 | 2022 |
| Hudson County | $1,707 | $1,065 | 2022 |
| Hunterdon County | $1,609 | $1,008 | 2022 |
| Mercer County | $1,558 | $1,016 | 2022 |
| Middlesex County | $1,663 | $1,078 | 2022 |
| Monmouth County | $1,666 | $1,076 | 2022 |
| Morris County | $1,730 | $1,128 | 2022 |
| Ocean County | $1,662 | $1,022 | 2022 |
| Passaic County | $1,629 | $1,016 | 2022 |
| Salem County | $1,506 | $911 | 2022 |
| Somerset County | $1,724 | $1,097 | 2022 |
| Sussex County | $1,613 | $995 | 2022 |
| Union County | $1,583 | $1,030 | 2022 |
| Warren County | $1,515 | $971 | 2022 |
City pages in New Jersey
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 New Jersey.
The January 2025 federal table lists $5,200 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 New Jersey.
How much does daycare cost per month in New Jersey?
The infant center estimate is $1,627 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 $1,035 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 $103,556 median household income gives 18.9%. 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 New Jersey?
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.