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Open calculator: Worth workingDaycare costs by state
Daycare costs in Texas. About $922/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
$922/ month
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $213
- Monthly
- $922
- Annual
- $11,067
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
14.1%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $78,476 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9222022 source | $8242022 source |
| Toddler | $8612022 source | $7842022 source |
| Preschool | $8372022 source | $7732022 source |
| School-age | $7892022 source | $7332022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denton County | $1,012 | $885 | 2022 |
| DeWitt County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Dickens County | $773 | $704 | 2022 |
| Dimmit County | $689 | $636 | 2022 |
| Donley County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Duval County | $810 | $731 | 2022 |
| Eastland County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Ector County | $821 | $731 | 2022 |
| Edwards County | $689 | $636 | 2022 |
| Ellis County | $1,012 | $885 | 2022 |
| El Paso County | $646 | $588 | 2022 |
| Erath County | $1,012 | $885 | 2022 |
| Falls County | $710 | $646 | 2022 |
| Fannin County | $731 | $662 | 2022 |
| Fayette County | $1,070 | $959 | 2022 |
| Fisher County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Floyd County | $773 | $704 | 2022 |
| Foard County | $689 | $620 | 2022 |
| Fort Bend County | $980 | $869 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $641 | $588 | 2022 |
| Freestone County | $710 | $646 | 2022 |
| Frio County | $906 | $816 | 2022 |
| Gaines County | $821 | $731 | 2022 |
| Galveston County | $980 | $869 | 2022 |
| Garza County | $773 | $704 | 2022 |
| Gillespie County | $906 | $816 | 2022 |
| Glasscock County | $821 | $731 | 2022 |
| Goliad County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Gonzales County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Gray County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Grayson County | $731 | $662 | 2022 |
| Gregg County | $657 | $604 | 2022 |
| Grimes County | $816 | $736 | 2022 |
| Guadalupe County | $906 | $816 | 2022 |
| Hale County | $773 | $704 | 2022 |
| Hall County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Hamilton County | $704 | $641 | 2022 |
| Hansford County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Hardeman County | $689 | $620 | 2022 |
| Hardin County | $715 | $657 | 2022 |
| Harris County | $980 | $869 | 2022 |
| Harrison County | $657 | $604 | 2022 |
| Hartley County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Haskell County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
| Hays County | $1,070 | $959 | 2022 |
| Hemphill County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Henderson County | $657 | $604 | 2022 |
| Hidalgo County | $763 | $694 | 2022 |
| Hill County | $710 | $646 | 2022 |
| Hockley County | $773 | $704 | 2022 |
| Hood County | $1,012 | $885 | 2022 |
| Hopkins County | $641 | $588 | 2022 |
| Houston County | $683 | $620 | 2022 |
| Howard County | $821 | $731 | 2022 |
| Hudspeth County | $646 | $588 | 2022 |
| Hunt County | $1,012 | $885 | 2022 |
| Hutchinson County | $779 | $710 | 2022 |
| Irion County | $599 | $540 | 2022 |
| Jack County | $689 | $620 | 2022 |
| Jackson County | $657 | $599 | 2022 |
City pages in Texas
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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 Texas.
The January 2025 federal table lists $7,311 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 Texas.
How much does daycare cost per month in Texas?
The infant center estimate is $922 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 $824 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 $78,476 median household income gives 14.1%. 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 Texas?
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.