MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in San Mateo County, CA?
In San Mateo County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $555 a week ($2,403 a month, $28,837 a year)†.
$555
per week · San Mateo County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $649 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 | $555† | $375† |
| Toddler | $397† | $357† |
| Preschool | $437† | $396† |
| School-age‡ | $439† | $363† |
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 Mateo County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $28,837 a year† — that is 16.4% of the county’s median family income of $175,776 (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 Mateo County?
Uses San Mateo County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SAN MATEO COUNTY
$28,837
per year · $2,403 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 16.4%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $12,304 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How San Mateo County compares
- San Mateo County$555 /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 Mateo County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Alameda CountyCA | $516 /wk |
| San Francisco CountyCA | $607 /wk |
| Santa Clara CountyCA | $527 /wk |
| Santa Cruz CountyCA | $477 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in San Mateo County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $349 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $377 |
| 2010 | $359 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $340 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $321 |
| 2013 | $343 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $364 |
| 2015 | $388 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $411 |
| 2017 | $417 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $423 |
| 2019 | $429 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $435 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $555 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in San Mateo County?
- The median price is $555 per week ($2,403 per month, $28,837 per year) at a child care center in San Mateo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in San Mateo County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $28,837 a year, or 16.4% 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 Mateo County?
- The median price is $375 per week ($1,625 per month, $19,501 per year) at a family child care home in San Mateo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in San Mateo County?
- The median price is $397 per week ($1,721 per month, $20,655 per year) at a child care center in San Mateo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in San Mateo County?
- The median price is $437 per week ($1,894 per month, $22,733 per year) at a child care center in San Mateo County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.