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Daycare costs in Pennsylvania. About $1,243/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
$1,243/ month
County sources 2020 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $287
- Monthly
- $1,243
- Annual
- $14,918
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
19.1%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $77,971 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,2432020 source | $9442020 source |
| Toddler | $1,1252020 source | $8852020 source |
| Preschool | $1,0472020 source | $8552020 source |
| School-age | $1,0092020 source | $8082020 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 | $1,195 | $687 | 2020 |
| Allegheny County | $1,222 | $926 | 2020 |
| Armstrong County | $982 | $982 | 2020 |
| Beaver County | $1,038 | $1,122 | 2020 |
| Bedford County | $791 | $701 | 2020 |
| Berks County | $1,206 | $1,010 | 2020 |
| Blair County | $869 | $687 | 2020 |
| Bradford County | $1,041 | $855 | 2020 |
| Bucks County | $1,545 | $926 | 2020 |
| Butler County | $1,200 | $869 | 2020 |
| Cambria County | $736 | $701 | 2020 |
| Cameron County | $905 | $701 | 2020 |
| Carbon County | $799 | $701 | 2020 |
| Centre County | $1,345 | $673 | 2020 |
| Chester County | $1,706 | $1,178 | 2020 |
| Clarion County | $869 | $799 | 2020 |
| Clearfield County | $869 | $680 | 2020 |
| Clinton County | $909 | $687 | 2020 |
| Columbia County | $862 | $687 | 2020 |
| Crawford County | $1,035 | $968 | 2020 |
| Cumberland County | $1,349 | $898 | 2020 |
| Dauphin County | $1,279 | $926 | 2020 |
| Delaware County | $1,297 | $1,066 | 2020 |
| Elk County | $905 | $687 | 2020 |
| Erie County | $1,122 | $869 | 2020 |
| Fayette County | $982 | $954 | 2020 |
| Forest County | $869 | $785 | 2020 |
| Franklin County | $926 | $757 | 2020 |
| Fulton County | $791 | $701 | 2020 |
| Greene County | $1,010 | $1,080 | 2020 |
| Huntingdon County | $791 | $670 | 2020 |
| Indiana County | $1,143 | $813 | 2020 |
| Jefferson County | $869 | $785 | 2020 |
| Juniata County | $1,234 | $708 | 2020 |
| Lackawanna County | $1,199 | $1,010 | 2020 |
| Lancaster County | $1,512 | $841 | 2020 |
| Lawrence County | $1,122 | $1,010 | 2020 |
| Lebanon County | $1,049 | $954 | 2020 |
| Lehigh County | $1,066 | $954 | 2020 |
| Luzerne County | $1,094 | $827 | 2020 |
| Lycoming County | $909 | $701 | 2020 |
| McKean County | $905 | $687 | 2020 |
| Mercer County | $1,402 | $1,080 | 2020 |
| Mifflin County | $1,087 | $708 | 2020 |
| Monroe County | $1,010 | $982 | 2020 |
| Montgomery County | $1,677 | $1,178 | 2020 |
| Montour County | $862 | $589 | 2020 |
| Northampton County | $1,144 | $869 | 2020 |
| Northumberland County | $806 | $771 | 2020 |
| Perry County | $1,251 | $701 | 2020 |
| Philadelphia County | $1,318 | $1,066 | 2020 |
| Pike County | $1,032 | $982 | 2020 |
| Potter County | $909 | $715 | 2020 |
| Schuylkill County | $799 | $771 | 2020 |
| Snyder County | $862 | $687 | 2020 |
| Somerset County | $693 | $645 | 2020 |
| Sullivan County | $1,212 | $869 | 2020 |
| Susquehanna County | $1,150 | $855 | 2020 |
| Tioga County | $914 | $701 | 2020 |
| Union County | $862 | $687 | 2020 |
City pages in Pennsylvania
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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 Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania.
How much does daycare cost per month in Pennsylvania?
The infant center estimate is $1,243 per month. The underlying source is dated 2020 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 $944 per month, from a 2020 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 $77,971 median household income gives 19.1%. 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 Pennsylvania?
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 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2020–2020 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2020–2020 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.