MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in San Diego County, CA?
In San Diego County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $379 a week ($1,643 a month, $19,719 a year)†.
$379
per week · San Diego County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $444 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 | $379† | $251† |
| Toddler | $269† | $238† |
| Preschool | $243† | $238† |
| School-age‡ | $219† | $180† |
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 San Diego County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $19,719 a year† — that is 17.6% of the county’s median family income of $111,734 (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 San Diego County?
Uses San Diego County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
$19,719
per year · $1,643 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 17.6%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,821 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How San Diego County compares
- San Diego County$379 /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 San Diego County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Imperial CountyCA | $222 /wk |
| Orange CountyCA | $394 /wk |
| Riverside CountyCA | $405 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in San Diego County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $256 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $265 |
| 2010 | $282 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $298 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $315 |
| 2013 | $299 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $284 |
| 2015 | $302 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $320 |
| 2017 | $324 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $328 |
| 2019 | $332 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $337 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $379 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in San Diego County?
- The median price is $379 per week ($1,643 per month, $19,719 per year) at a child care center in San Diego County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in San Diego County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $19,719 a year, or 17.6% 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 San Diego County?
- The median price is $251 per week ($1,087 per month, $13,045 per year) at a family child care home in San Diego County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in San Diego County?
- The median price is $269 per week ($1,167 per month, $13,999 per year) at a child care center in San Diego County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in San Diego County?
- The median price is $243 per week ($1,051 per month, $12,616 per year) at a child care center in San Diego County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.