What is the biggest childcare price gap between two neighboring U.S. counties?

Marin County, CA and Sonoma County, CA — two adjacent counties — differ by $304.95 a week ($15,857 a year) for center-based infant care, the largest gap found among adjacent county pairs in 2022 NDCP data.

Can childcare prices differ a lot between counties that share a border?

Yes, in some cases substantially. The five largest gaps found range from $255.67 to $304.95 a week between directly adjacent counties — several crossing state lines.

Why would neighboring counties have such different childcare prices?

The higher-priced county in each pair sits closer to a major, high-cost job center, with correspondingly higher commercial rents and wages — the same cost pressures that make large counties more expensive in general, just concentrated right at a county border.

Should I move to a cheaper neighboring county to save on childcare?

This data shows price variation only — it isn't a recommendation. Commute time, provider quality, and proximity to work and home all matter and aren't reflected in a price figure alone.

How can I check the price gap for my own county's neighbors?

Look up your county and its neighboring counties individually at ChildcareCost's state directory — prices are shown per county, so you can compare any pair directly.

COST DATA

Daycare Can Cost $300 Less Just One County Over

By Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 29, 2026

Infant center-based care costs $304.95 a week more in Marin County, California than in neighboring Sonoma County — a gap of $15,857 a year between two counties that share a border, according to 2022 NDCP data.

Key Takeaways

Marin County, CA ($548.16/week) vs. Sonoma County, CA ($243.21/week): $304.95/week gap ($15,857/year).
Santa Clara County, CA ($527.14/week) vs. Merced County, CA ($244.53/week): $282.61/week gap ($14,696/year).
El Dorado County, CA ($449.96/week) vs. Douglas County, NV ($177.27/week) — a cross-state border: $272.69/week gap ($14,180/year).
Norfolk County, MA ($555.00/week) vs. Providence County, RI ($289.59/week) — also cross-state: $265.41/week gap ($13,801/year).
These are the largest gaps found among adjacent county pairs nationwide — most neighboring counties differ far less.

Where Are the Biggest County-Border Price Gaps?

Comparing every pair of adjacent U.S. counties on their 2022 median infant center-care price surfaces a handful of large, real gaps — all in counties that share a physical border:

Marin County, CA: $548.16/week — Sonoma County, CA: $243.21/week ($304.95/week apart)
Santa Clara County, CA: $527.14/week — Merced County, CA: $244.53/week ($282.61/week apart)
El Dorado County, CA: $449.96/week — Douglas County, NV: $177.27/week ($272.69/week apart, crossing a state line)
Norfolk County, MA: $555.00/week — Providence County, RI: $289.59/week ($265.41/week apart, crossing a state line)
Stearns County, MN: $430.67/week — Morrison County, MN: $175.00/week ($255.67/week apart)

See the full price for Marin County, Santa Clara County, and El Dorado County directly on their county pages.

What's Actually Driving These Gaps?

These aren't neighboring towns with similar economies split by an arbitrary line — they're counties with genuinely different labor markets, commercial rents, and commuting patterns, even when they touch. Marin sits just north of San Francisco with among the highest costs of living in the country; Sonoma, one county further out, is meaningfully less expensive across nearly every category, not just childcare. The same pattern holds for the other pairs: the higher-priced county in each is closer to a major, high-cost job center.

This lines up with the broader pattern that larger, denser counties cost more for childcare — county borders can sit right at the edge of that density gradient, producing a sharp price step rather than a gradual one.

What This Means — and What It Doesn't

This data shows real price variation between neighboring counties. It is not a recommendation to commute an infant across a county line for cheaper care — travel time, provider quality, waitlists, and proximity to work and home all matter and aren't captured in a price figure. What it does offer is a starting point: if you live near a county line, it's worth checking both counties' actual prices before assuming your own county's figure is your only option. Search both at childcare costs by state.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest childcare price gap between two neighboring U.S. counties?: Marin County, CA and Sonoma County, CA — two adjacent counties — differ by $304.95 a week ($15,857 a year) for center-based infant care, the largest gap found among adjacent county pairs in 2022 NDCP data.
Can childcare prices differ a lot between counties that share a border?: Yes, in some cases substantially. The five largest gaps found range from $255.67 to $304.95 a week between directly adjacent counties — several crossing state lines.
Why would neighboring counties have such different childcare prices?: The higher-priced county in each pair sits closer to a major, high-cost job center, with correspondingly higher commercial rents and wages — the same cost pressures that make large counties more expensive in general, just concentrated right at a county border.
Should I move to a cheaper neighboring county to save on childcare?: This data shows price variation only — it isn't a recommendation. Commute time, provider quality, and proximity to work and home all matter and aren't reflected in a price figure alone.
How can I check the price gap for my own county's neighbors?: Look up your county and its neighboring counties individually at ChildcareCost's state directory — prices are shown per county, so you can compare any pair directly.