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
$681/ month
Source 2013 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
Annual care ÷ $35,593 income. ACS income bundled with NDCP.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $6812013 source | $4112013 source |
| Toddler | $6272013 source | $4722013 source |
| Preschool | $6272013 source | $4722013 source |
| School-age | $5732013 source | $4862013 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.
$44,058 median family income, 2013 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | $1,038 | 2022 |
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 $9,492 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 $681 per month. The underlying source is dated 2013 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
The infant home-based estimate is $411 per month, from a 2013 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 $35,593 median household income gives 23.0%. Income comes from ACS income bundled with NDCP. 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 2013 | $101.00 | × 1.556437 |
| Infant / home | DOL NDCP 2013 | $61.00 | × 1.556437 |
| Toddler / center | DOL NDCP 2013 | $93.00 | × 1.556437 |
| Toddler / home | DOL NDCP 2013 | $70.00 | × 1.556437 |
| Preschool / center | DOL NDCP 2013 | $93.00 | × 1.556437 |
| Preschool / home | DOL NDCP 2013 | $70.00 | × 1.556437 |
| School-age / center | DOL NDCP 2013 | $85.00 | × 1.556437 |
| School-age / home | DOL NDCP 2013 | $72.00 | × 1.556437 |
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: ACS income bundled with NDCP, 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.