COST DATA
New York Child Care Costs by County: 2022 Official Data
By Sharon Ben-Moshe ·
New York's population-weighted median price for center-based infant care is $300.00 per week — $1,300/month, $15,600/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 National Database of Childcare Prices. That is 23.1% above the U.S. median of $243.75/week, ranking New York 13th of 44 states with data — but the highest prices in the state aren't where you'd expect.
Key takeaways
- New York median (infant, center-based): $300.00/week — 23.1% above the national median.
- All five NYC boroughs tie: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island each report exactly $300.00/week for infant care.
- The suburbs cost more than the city: Suffolk, Nassau, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland counties are the state's most expensive, all at $325.00/week.
- Least expensive counties: a five-way tie at $247.00/week among rural upstate counties.
- Full data coverage: all 62 New York counties report a price.
How much does child care cost in New York, by age?
- Infant: $300.00/week center · $250.00/week family
- Toddler: $277.00/week center · $220.00/week family
- Preschool: $259.00/week center · $200.00/week family
- School-age: $225.00/week center · $190.00/week family
New York City's five boroughs cost exactly the same
This is the most surprising fact in New York's 2022 data: the popular assumption that Manhattan carries a steep premium over the other boroughs doesn't hold up. DOL's figures show New York (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Bronx, and Richmond (Staten Island) counties reporting identical prices at every age group:
- Infant: $300.00/week in all five boroughs
- Toddler: $277.00/week in all five boroughs
- Preschool: $259.00/week in all five boroughs
- School-age: $225.00/week in all five boroughs
None of these figures are DOL-flagged as imputed. The five downstate suburban counties actually charge more: Suffolk and Nassau (Long Island), Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland (lower Hudson Valley) all report $325.00/week for infant care — $25.00/week above every NYC borough.
The least expensive counties in New York
Five rural upstate counties tie for New York's lowest price, none DOL-flagged as imputed:
- Allegany County — $247.00/week
- Cattaraugus County — $247.00/week
- Greene County — $247.00/week
- Schoharie County — $247.00/week
- Livingston County — $247.00/week
Even New York's cheapest counties sit above the U.S. median of $243.75/week — the entire state prices above the national floor.
Browse every New York county
For the full 62-county price table, see the New York state page. Individual county detail is available for New York County (Manhattan), Suffolk County, and every other county in the state. Estimate your own family's cost with the childcare cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does child care cost in New York?
- New York's population-weighted median price for center-based infant care is $300.00 per week ($1,300/month, $15,600/year), per the DOL's 2022 data — 23.1% above the U.S. median of $243.75/week.
- Is Manhattan the most expensive place for child care in New York?
- No. All five New York City boroughs — Manhattan (New York County), Brooklyn (Kings), Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island (Richmond) — report an identical center-based infant price of $300.00/week. The most expensive counties are actually the downstate suburbs: Suffolk, Nassau, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland, all at $325.00/week.
- What is the cheapest county for child care in New York?
- A tie at $247.00/week among five rural upstate counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Greene, Schoharie, and Livingston.
- Is home-based (family) child care cheaper than a center in New York?
- Yes, across every age group. New York's statewide family-care median for infants is $250.00/week versus $300.00 at a center — a $50.00/week gap, the largest dollar gap of any age group in the state.
- Does every New York county have official price data?
- Yes. All 62 New York counties report an official 2022 DOL price — full statewide coverage.