MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in San Luis Obispo County, CA?
In San Luis Obispo County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $361 a week ($1,566 a month, $18,786 a year)†.
$361
per week · San Luis Obispo County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $423 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 | $361† | $246† |
| Toddler | $232† | $209† |
| Preschool | $272† | $214† |
| School-age‡ | $232† | $215† |
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 Luis Obispo County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $18,786 a year† — that is 16.5% of the county’s median family income of $114,196 (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 Luis Obispo County?
Uses San Luis Obispo County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
$18,786
per year · $1,566 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 16.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,994 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How San Luis Obispo County compares
- San Luis Obispo County$361 /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 Luis Obispo County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Kern CountyCA | $353 /wk |
| Kings CountyCA | $261 /wk |
| Monterey CountyCA | $403 /wk |
| Santa Barbara CountyCA | $453 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in San Luis Obispo County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $242 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $259 |
| 2010 | $276 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $293 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $310 |
| 2013 | $299 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $288 |
| 2015 | $294 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $300 |
| 2017 | $307 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $313 |
| 2019 | $320 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $326 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $361 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in San Luis Obispo County?
- The median price is $361 per week ($1,566 per month, $18,786 per year) at a child care center in San Luis Obispo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in San Luis Obispo County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $18,786 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 San Luis Obispo County?
- The median price is $246 per week ($1,066 per month, $12,793 per year) at a family child care home in San Luis Obispo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in San Luis Obispo County?
- The median price is $232 per week ($1,003 per month, $12,040 per year) at a child care center in San Luis Obispo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in San Luis Obispo County?
- The median price is $272 per week ($1,181 per month, $14,167 per year) at a child care center in San Luis Obispo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.