MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Alameda County, CA?
In Alameda County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $516 a week ($2,236 a month, $26,827 a year)†.
$516
per week · Alameda County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $604 per week in 2025 dollars — estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure · how we estimate this
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
MEDIAN PRICE · BY AGE & SETTING · PER WEEK
| Age | Center-based | Family childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $516† | $361† |
| Toddler | $371† | $311† |
| Preschool | $408† | $345† |
| School-age‡ | $434† | $279† |
Median prices · 2022 (latest official data) · U.S. Department of Labor.
‡ School-age prices reflect a school-year, part-day arrangement, not full-day year-round care.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
AFFORDABILITY · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · VS 7%
Is childcare affordable in Alameda County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $26,827 a year† — that is 17.9% of the county’s median family income of $149,535 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Alameda County?
Uses Alameda County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN ALAMEDA COUNTY
$26,827
per year · $2,236 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 17.9%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $10,467 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Alameda County compares
- Alameda County$516 /wk†
- California median$379 /wk
- National median$244 /wk
Bars scaled to the highest figure shown. State and national figures are population-weighted medians of the county medians, across counties with data.
NEARBY COUNTIES · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
Childcare prices near Alameda County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Contra Costa CountyCA | $482 /wk |
| San Francisco CountyCA | $607 /wk |
| San Joaquin CountyCA | $387 /wk |
| San Mateo CountyCA | $555 /wk |
| Santa Clara CountyCA | $527 /wk |
| Stanislaus CountyCA | $316 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Alameda County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $302 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $313 |
| 2010 | $313 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $314 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $314 |
| 2013 | $312 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $310 |
| 2015 | $344 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $378 |
| 2017 | $386 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $393 |
| 2019 | $401 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $409 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $516 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Alameda County?
- The median price is $516 per week ($2,236 per month, $26,827 per year) at a child care center in Alameda County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Alameda County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $26,827 a year, or 17.9% of the county's median family income. That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
- How much does family child care cost for an infant in Alameda County?
- The median price is $361 per week ($1,563 per month, $18,754 per year) at a family child care home in Alameda County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Alameda County?
- The median price is $371 per week ($1,608 per month, $19,293 per year) at a child care center in Alameda County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Alameda County?
- The median price is $408 per week ($1,769 per month, $21,233 per year) at a child care center in Alameda County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.