Is it worth going back to work?
See what a second income leaves after taxes, childcare and commuting.
Open calculator: Worth workingLocal childcare costs
Compare ages and care settings, then put the estimate beside your own budget.
Infant care in a center
$415/ week
Source 2021 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
Annual care ÷ $68,616 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $4152021 source | $2442021 source |
| Toddler | $4012021 source | $2382021 source |
| Preschool | $3642021 source | $2382021 source |
| School-age | $2522021 source | $2002021 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.
A little context
Highest price ranks first, for infant center care. Ties use the same rank.
Population-weighted mean of available infant center county medians.
$93,423 median family income, 2024 ACS. A separate comparison from household income.
Nearby places
Actual county neighbors from the Census adjacency file. These are estimates for each county’s market.
| County | Monthly estimate | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NY | $1,308 | 2022 |
| Addison County, VT | $1,939 | 2021 |
| Bennington County, VT | $1,574 | 2021 |
| Windsor County, VT | $1,724 | 2021 |
Make it your budget
Open a calculator with this county’s estimate prefilled. Edit it to match your provider’s quote.
See what a second income leaves after taxes, childcare and commuting.
Open calculator: Worth workingCompare center, home-based care, a nanny and a nanny share—including employer taxes.
Open calculator: Daycare vs. nannyCompare federal tax benefits with the rules for 2025 and 2026.
Open calculator: FSA vs. tax creditCompare your income with published state limits and find the application.
Open calculator: Subsidy income checkHelp paying for care
The January 2025 federal table lists $10,400 per month as the initial income threshold for a family of four.
Current limits and other eligibility rules may differ.
See limits & applicationThe infant center estimate is $1,799 per month. The underlying source is dated 2021 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
The infant home-based estimate is $1,059 per month, from a 2021 source adjusted to August 2026.
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.
Annual center care divided by $68,616 median household income gives 31.5%. Income comes from 2020–2024 ACS 5-year. The periods differ, so this is an illustrative comparison, not a current household survey.
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.
Retrieved 2026-10-01. The displayed figures are rounded; calculations use unrounded values.
| Age / setting | Source | Original weekly | CPI factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant / center | DOL NDCP 2021 | $326.80 | × 1.270666 |
| Infant / home | DOL NDCP 2021 | $192.24 | × 1.270666 |
| Toddler / center | DOL NDCP 2021 | $315.96 | × 1.270666 |
| Toddler / home | DOL NDCP 2021 | $187.30 | × 1.270666 |
| Preschool / center | DOL NDCP 2021 | $286.28 | × 1.270666 |
| Preschool / home | DOL NDCP 2021 | $187.30 | × 1.270666 |
| School-age / center | DOL NDCP 2021 | $198.42 | × 1.270666 |
| School-age / home | DOL NDCP 2021 | $157.62 | × 1.270666 |
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.