MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Santa Barbara County, CA?
In Santa Barbara County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $453 a week ($1,961 a month, $23,532 a year)†.
$453
per week · Santa Barbara County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $529 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 | $453† | $363† |
| Toddler | $309† | $305† |
| Preschool | $242† | $286† |
| School-age‡ | $115† | $207† |
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 Santa Barbara County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $23,532 a year† — that is 22.4% of the county’s median family income of $105,067 (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 Santa Barbara County?
Uses Santa Barbara County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
$23,532
per year · $1,961 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 22.4%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,355 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Santa Barbara County compares
- Santa Barbara County$453 /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 Santa Barbara County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Kern CountyCA | $353 /wk |
| San Luis Obispo CountyCA | $361 /wk |
| Ventura CountyCA | $425 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Santa Barbara County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $269 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $277 |
| 2010 | $290 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $304 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $318 |
| 2013 | $330 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $341 |
| 2015 | $340 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $340 |
| 2017 | $342 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $343 |
| 2019 | $345 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $346 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $453 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Santa Barbara County?
- The median price is $453 per week ($1,961 per month, $23,532 per year) at a child care center in Santa Barbara County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Santa Barbara County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $23,532 a year, or 22.4% 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 Santa Barbara County?
- The median price is $363 per week ($1,573 per month, $18,877 per year) at a family child care home in Santa Barbara County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Santa Barbara County?
- The median price is $309 per week ($1,339 per month, $16,070 per year) at a child care center in Santa Barbara County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Santa Barbara County?
- The median price is $242 per week ($1,049 per month, $12,590 per year) at a child care center in Santa Barbara County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.