MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Monterey County, CA?
In Monterey County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $403 a week ($1,746 a month, $20,953 a year)†.
$403
per week · Monterey County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $471 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 | $403† | $319† |
| Toddler | $252† | $271† |
| Preschool | $198† | $254† |
| School-age‡ | $101† | $197† |
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 Monterey County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,953 a year† — that is 21.6% of the county’s median family income of $97,004 (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 Monterey County?
Uses Monterey County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN MONTEREY COUNTY
$20,953
per year · $1,746 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 21.6%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,790 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Monterey County compares
- Monterey County$403 /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 Monterey County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Fresno CountyCA | $416 /wk |
| Kings CountyCA | $261 /wk |
| San Benito CountyCA | $386 /wk |
| San Luis Obispo CountyCA | $361 /wk |
| Santa Cruz CountyCA | $477 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Monterey County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $250 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $262 |
| 2010 | $278 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $293 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $309 |
| 2013 | $301 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $293 |
| 2015 | $293 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $293 |
| 2017 | $299 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $306 |
| 2019 | $312 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $318 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $403 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Monterey County?
- The median price is $403 per week ($1,746 per month, $20,953 per year) at a child care center in Monterey County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Monterey County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,953 a year, or 21.6% 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 Monterey County?
- The median price is $319 per week ($1,381 per month, $16,571 per year) at a family child care home in Monterey County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Monterey County?
- The median price is $252 per week ($1,093 per month, $13,118 per year) at a child care center in Monterey County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Monterey County?
- The median price is $198 per week ($856 per month, $10,277 per year) at a child care center in Monterey County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.