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Daycare costs in North Dakota. About $1,141/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
$13,689/ year
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $263
- Monthly
- $1,141
- Annual
- $13,689
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
17.9%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $76,657 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $13,6892022 source | $10,0692022 source |
| Toddler | $12,4902022 source | $9,4932022 source |
| Preschool | $11,5882022 source | $9,5652022 source |
| School-age | $11,4382022 source | $9,9752022 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
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Each local page shows available age groups, source years, income context and nearby counties.
| County | Center | Home-based | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $1,048 | $770 | 2022 |
| Barnes County | $1,104 | $812 | 2022 |
| Benson County | $1,053 | $774 | 2022 |
| Billings County | $1,075 | $791 | 2022 |
| Bottineau County | $1,157 | $850 | 2022 |
| Bowman County | $1,164 | $855 | 2022 |
| Burke County | $1,146 | $842 | 2022 |
| Burleigh County | $1,168 | $859 | 2022 |
| Cass County | $1,133 | $833 | 2022 |
| Cavalier County | $1,097 | $806 | 2022 |
| Dickey County | $1,075 | $791 | 2022 |
| Divide County | $1,272 | $935 | 2022 |
| Dunn County | $1,219 | $897 | 2022 |
| Eddy County | $1,033 | $760 | 2022 |
| Emmons County | $1,056 | $776 | 2022 |
| Foster County | $1,108 | $814 | 2022 |
| Golden Valley County | $1,149 | $845 | 2022 |
| Grand Forks County | $1,123 | $827 | 2022 |
| Grant County | $1,059 | $778 | 2022 |
| Griggs County | $1,061 | $780 | 2022 |
| Hettinger County | $1,137 | $836 | 2022 |
| Kidder County | $1,050 | $772 | 2022 |
| LaMoure County | $1,050 | $772 | 2022 |
| Logan County | $1,123 | $826 | 2022 |
| McHenry County | $1,127 | $828 | 2022 |
| McIntosh County | $1,056 | $776 | 2022 |
| McKenzie County | $1,270 | $934 | 2022 |
| McLean County | $1,139 | $837 | 2022 |
| Mercer County | $1,185 | $871 | 2022 |
| Morton County | $1,182 | $869 | 2022 |
| Mountrail County | $1,145 | $842 | 2022 |
| Nelson County | $1,054 | $775 | 2022 |
| Oliver County | $1,056 | $776 | 2022 |
| Pembina County | $1,080 | $794 | 2022 |
| Pierce County | $1,109 | $816 | 2022 |
| Ramsey County | $1,064 | $782 | 2022 |
| Ransom County | $1,174 | $863 | 2022 |
| Renville County | $1,162 | $854 | 2022 |
| Richland County | $1,101 | $809 | 2022 |
| Rolette County | $1,043 | $767 | 2022 |
| Sargent County | $1,168 | $859 | 2022 |
| Sheridan County | $1,063 | $781 | 2022 |
| Sioux County | $1,041 | $765 | 2022 |
| Slope County | $1,083 | $797 | 2022 |
| Stark County | $1,163 | $855 | 2022 |
| Steele County | $1,075 | $790 | 2022 |
| Stutsman County | $1,093 | $803 | 2022 |
| Towner County | $1,064 | $782 | 2022 |
| Traill County | $1,109 | $815 | 2022 |
| Walsh County | $1,077 | $792 | 2022 |
| Ward County | $1,166 | $858 | 2022 |
| Wells County | $1,053 | $774 | 2022 |
| Williams County | $1,220 | $897 | 2022 |
City pages in North Dakota
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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 North Dakota.
The January 2025 federal table lists $7,695 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 North Dakota.
How much does daycare cost per month in North Dakota?
The infant center estimate is $1,141 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 $839 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 $76,657 median household income gives 17.9%. 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 North Dakota?
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.