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.
Toddler care in a center
$1,666/ month
Source 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
Annual care ÷ $181,765 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,9382022 source | $1,4862022 source |
| Toddler | $1,6662022 source | $1,4032022 source |
| Preschool | $1,7742022 source | $1,3772022 source |
| School-age | $1,1802022 source | $1,1622022 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 toddler center care. Ties use the same rank.
Population-weighted mean of available toddler center county medians.
$203,933 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick County, MD | $1,721 | 2022 |
| Montgomery County, MD | $2,193 | 2022 |
| Washington County, MD | $1,348 | 2022 |
| Clarke County, VA | $1,182 | 2022 |
| Fairfax County, VA | $1,829 | 2022 |
| Fauquier County, VA | $1,464 | 2022 |
| Prince William County, VA | $1,650 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County, WV | $875 | 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 toddler center estimate is $1,666 per month. The underlying source is dated 2022 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
The toddler home-based estimate is $1,403 per month, from a 2022 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 $181,765 median household income gives 11.0%. 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 2022 | $365.91 | × 1.222352 |
| Infant / home | DOL NDCP 2022 | $280.59 | × 1.222352 |
| Toddler / center | DOL NDCP 2022 | $314.59 | × 1.222352 |
| Toddler / home | DOL NDCP 2022 | $264.81 | × 1.222352 |
| Preschool / center | DOL NDCP 2022 | $335.00 | × 1.222352 |
| Preschool / home | DOL NDCP 2022 | $259.92 | × 1.222352 |
| School-age / center | DOL NDCP 2022 | $222.75 | × 1.222352 |
| School-age / home | DOL NDCP 2022 | $219.38 | × 1.222352 |
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.