How much have childcare prices risen since 2008?

National center-based infant care rose 28.3%, from $190.00 a week in 2008 to $243.75 a week in 2022, according to DOL's National Database of Childcare Prices. Every other age group rose between 25.9% and 31.8% over the same period.

Did childcare prices ever go down?

Yes — nationally, center-based infant care dipped in 2009, 2015, and 2021 before climbing again. NDCP's county coverage also grew substantially in the early years, from 1,416 counties in 2008 to over 2,600 by 2022, so early-year figures reflect a smaller, evolving sample.

What is $243.75 a week in 2022 worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted for inflation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' day care and preschool price index, $243.75 a week in 2022 is approximately $285.16 a week in 2025 dollars. That's ChildcareCost's own labeled estimate, not an official DOL figure.

Which age group's price rose the fastest?

Among center-based settings, school-age care rose the fastest nationally, at 31.8% from 2008 to 2022. Family child care for infants rose even faster, at 37.0%, though from a lower starting price.

Where do these historical prices come from?

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, which spans 2008 to 2022. ChildcareCost loads the full historical range, not just the latest year — see our companion post on where these numbers come from.

COST DATA

Childcare Costs Rose 28% From 2008 to 2022: The Full Trend

By Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 21, 2026

National childcare prices for center-based infant care rose from $190.00 a week in 2008 to $243.75 a week in 2022 — a 28.3% nominal increase over 14 years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's own historical price data. Every other age group climbed by a similar amount over the same span.

Key Takeaways

Infant center-based care rose 28.3% nationally, from $190.00/week in 2008 to $243.75/week in 2022 — a $53.75-a-week increase, or $2,795 more per year, per DOL's National Database of Childcare Prices.
Every age group climbed. Toddler care rose 26.0%, preschool rose 25.9%, and school-age care rose the most of any center-based group at 31.8%, all from 2008 to 2022.
Family child care rose even faster for infants: +37.0%, from $135.00/week in 2008 to $185.00/week in 2022 — outpacing the center-based increase.
The rise wasn't a straight line. National infant center-based prices dipped in 2009, 2015, and 2021 before climbing again to $243.75 in 2022.
In today's dollars, it's higher still. Adjusted for inflation, $243.75/week in 2022 is approximately $285.16/week in 2025 dollars — an estimate, not an official DOL figure.

How Much Has Childcare Cost Risen Since 2008?

The U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) is the only dataset that tracks childcare prices at this scale across time, and it spans every year from 2008 to 2022. Here is the full national median price for full-time, center-based infant care — the headline figure used throughout our companion guide to average daycare costs — for every year DOL has published:

2008: $190.00/week
2009: $171.95/week
2010: $178.42/week
2011: $184.88/week
2012: $187.04/week
2013: $192.50/week
2014: $190.00/week
2015: $183.77/week
2016: $187.87/week
2017: $200.68/week
2018: $206.12/week
2019: $209.50/week
2020: $216.49/week
2021: $210.00/week
2022: $243.75/week

Read year over year, the direction is unmistakable: up 28.3% over 14 years, even with three separate dips along the way.

Why Did the Price Dip in 2009, 2015, and 2021?

This dataset tracks price only, so it can't say for certain why any single year moved the way it did — but one factor is visible directly in DOL's own data and worth naming honestly: NDCP's county coverage grew substantially over this period, from 1,416 counties surveyed in 2008 to 2,653 by 2022. A national median built from a smaller, still-expanding set of counties in the early years is a different — and less complete — sample than the one behind the 2022 figure, which is worth keeping in mind before reading too much into any single early-year move. We don't have a verified explanation for the 2015 and 2021 dips specifically, and we won't guess one.

How Does the 2022 Price Compare in Today's Dollars?

$243.75 a week was the real, official 2022 price — but 2022 dollars buy less than 2025 dollars. Adjusted for inflation using the same Bureau of Labor Statistics childcare price index ChildcareCost uses elsewhere on the site, $243.75/week in 2022 is approximately $285.16 a week in 2025 dollars — an estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure. See how much daycare actually costs today for the full official breakdown by age and state.

How Every Age Group Rose From 2008 to 2022

Infant, center-based: $190.00 → $243.75/week (+28.3%)
Toddler, center-based: $163.60 → $206.07/week (+26.0%)
Preschool, center-based: $147.69 → $186.00/week (+25.9%)
School-age, center-based: $112.50 → $148.30/week (+31.8%)
Infant, family child care: $135.00 → $185.00/week (+37.0%)

For why infant care costs the most of any age group in any single year, see our analysis of why childcare costs so much.

What This Means for Your Budget

A 14-year trend doesn't change what you pay today — your own county's real, current price does. Look up your county's official 2022 price and run it through the childcare cost calculator, or walk through the full budgeting worked example to see exactly how a real price compares to real income.

Every figure in this post comes directly from DOL's National Database of Childcare Prices, loaded in full from 2008 through 2022 — not just the latest year. See where these numbers come from for the complete provenance.

Frequently asked questions

How much have childcare prices risen since 2008?: National center-based infant care rose 28.3%, from $190.00 a week in 2008 to $243.75 a week in 2022, according to DOL's National Database of Childcare Prices. Every other age group rose between 25.9% and 31.8% over the same period.
Did childcare prices ever go down?: Yes — nationally, center-based infant care dipped in 2009, 2015, and 2021 before climbing again. NDCP's county coverage also grew substantially in the early years, from 1,416 counties in 2008 to over 2,600 by 2022, so early-year figures reflect a smaller, evolving sample.
What is $243.75 a week in 2022 worth in today's dollars?: Adjusted for inflation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' day care and preschool price index, $243.75 a week in 2022 is approximately $285.16 a week in 2025 dollars. That's ChildcareCost's own labeled estimate, not an official DOL figure.
Which age group's price rose the fastest?: Among center-based settings, school-age care rose the fastest nationally, at 31.8% from 2008 to 2022. Family child care for infants rose even faster, at 37.0%, though from a lower starting price.
Where do these historical prices come from?: Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, which spans 2008 to 2022. ChildcareCost loads the full historical range, not just the latest year — see our companion post on where these numbers come from.