What does the 50th percentile childcare price mean?

The 50th percentile, or median, is the price at the exact middle of the market: half of surveyed providers in that county charge less, and half charge more. It's the figure ChildcareCost uses as the headline price on every county, state, and national page.

What does the 75th percentile childcare price mean?

The 75th percentile is the price only the top quarter of providers charge or exceed — 75% of providers charge that amount or less. It represents a higher, but still common, tier of the market, not a rare outlier.

How much higher is the 75th percentile than the median, nationally?

For center-based infant care, the 75th percentile is $281.00/week versus a median of $243.75/week — a gap of $37.25 (15.3%). The gap ranges from 10.8% to 20.6% depending on age group and setting.

Which price does ChildcareCost use as its headline figure?

The 50th percentile (median) is the headline figure used across county pages, state and national rankings, the calculator, and every trend chart on ChildcareCost. The 75th percentile is shown as context where available, never as the primary number.

Should I expect to pay the median or the 75th percentile price?

Either is plausible — both describe real, common prices in the same county. If quotes you're getting from local providers land above the published median, you may simply be shopping in the upper quartile of that market rather than being overcharged.

COST DATA

50th vs. 75th Percentile Childcare Prices, Explained

By Sharon Ben-Moshe · August 8, 2026

DOL's National Database of Childcare Prices reports two price points for every county, age group, and care setting: the 50th percentile (the median) and the 75th percentile. Nationally, center-based infant care runs $243.75/week at the median but $281.00/week at the 75th percentile — a $37.25 (15.3%) gap that represents the higher end of the "typical" market, not a luxury outlier.

Key takeaways

The 50th percentile (median) is the price at the exact middle of the market — half of providers charge more, half less.
The 75th percentile is the price only the top quarter of providers charge or exceed — common, not rare.
Nationally, the median-to-75th-percentile gap ranges from 10.8% (family child care, preschool) to 20.6% (center-based, preschool).
ChildcareCost uses the 50th percentile as its headline figure everywhere — county pages, rankings, the calculator, and trend charts.

What do the 50th and 75th percentile actually mean?

Both figures come from DOL surveying childcare providers within a county and ranking their reported prices from lowest to highest. The 50th percentile is the price exactly in the middle of that ranked list. The 75th percentile is three-quarters of the way up the list — the price at which only the top 25% of providers charge more. Neither figure is an average; both are actual observed (or, where DOL notes it, imputed) prices from the ranked distribution.

National price comparison: 50th vs. 75th percentile

Every age group and care setting shows a 75th-percentile premium over the median. As of 2022 DOL data:

Infant, center-based: $243.75 → $281.00 (+$37.25, 15.3%)
Infant, family: $185.00 → $210.00 (+$25.00, 13.5%)
Toddler, center-based: $206.07 → $238.58 (+$32.51, 15.8%)
Toddler, family: $175.00 → $200.00 (+$25.00, 14.3%)
Preschool, center-based: $186.00 → $224.25 (+$38.25, 20.6%)
Preschool, family: $171.45 → $190.00 (+$18.55, 10.8%)
School-age, center-based: $148.30 → $178.00 (+$29.70, 20.0%)
School-age, family: $150.00 → $174.00 (+$24.00, 16.0%)

Why the gap is bigger for some age groups than others

The widest median-to-75th-percentile gaps, proportionally, are center-based preschool (20.6%) and center-based school-age (20.0%). The narrowest is family child care for preschool (10.8%). DOL's public data does not publish a breakdown of what drives the spread within each county, so this pattern should be read as a description of the 2022 data, not an explanation of its cause.

How ChildcareCost uses these percentiles

Every county, state, and national figure on ChildcareCost — the headline price readout, rankings, the cost calculator, and trend charts — uses the 50th percentile (median) as the primary figure, consistent with how DOL itself presents median pricing as the standard reference point. Full detail on how prices are sourced and aggregated is on the methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 50th percentile childcare price mean?: The 50th percentile, or median, is the price at the exact middle of the market: half of surveyed providers in that county charge less, and half charge more. It's the figure ChildcareCost uses as the headline price on every county, state, and national page.
What does the 75th percentile childcare price mean?: The 75th percentile is the price only the top quarter of providers charge or exceed — 75% of providers charge that amount or less. It represents a higher, but still common, tier of the market, not a rare outlier.
How much higher is the 75th percentile than the median, nationally?: For center-based infant care, the 75th percentile is $281.00/week versus a median of $243.75/week — a gap of $37.25 (15.3%). The gap ranges from 10.8% to 20.6% depending on age group and setting.
Which price does ChildcareCost use as its headline figure?: The 50th percentile (median) is the headline figure used across county pages, state and national rankings, the calculator, and every trend chart on ChildcareCost. The 75th percentile is shown as context where available, never as the primary number.
Should I expect to pay the median or the 75th percentile price?: Either is plausible — both describe real, common prices in the same county. If quotes you're getting from local providers land above the published median, you may simply be shopping in the upper quartile of that market rather than being overcharged.