MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Orange County, CA?
In Orange County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $394 a week ($1,706 a month, $20,473 a year)†.
$394
per week · Orange County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $461 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 | $394† | $300† |
| Toddler | $282† | $279† |
| Preschool | $254† | $279† |
| School-age‡ | $239† | $196† |
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 Orange County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,473 a year† — that is 16.5% of the county’s median family income of $124,132 (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 Orange County?
Uses Orange County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN ORANGE COUNTY
$20,473
per year · $1,706 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 16.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $8,689 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Orange County compares
- Orange County$394 /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 Orange County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles CountyCA | $257 /wk |
| Riverside CountyCA | $405 /wk |
| San Bernardino CountyCA | $384 /wk |
| San Diego CountyCA | $379 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Orange County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $273 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $279 |
| 2010 | $293 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $307 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $321 |
| 2013 | $312 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $303 |
| 2015 | $312 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $321 |
| 2017 | $331 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $341 |
| 2019 | $351 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $361 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $394 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Orange County?
- The median price is $394 per week ($1,706 per month, $20,473 per year) at a child care center in Orange County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Orange County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,473 a year, or 16.5% 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 Orange County?
- The median price is $300 per week ($1,300 per month, $15,599 per year) at a family child care home in Orange County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Orange County?
- The median price is $282 per week ($1,221 per month, $14,647 per year) at a child care center in Orange County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Orange County?
- The median price is $254 per week ($1,100 per month, $13,200 per year) at a child care center in Orange County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.