MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Santa Cruz County, CA?
In Santa Cruz County, CA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $477 a week ($2,066 a month, $24,798 a year)†.
$477
per week · Santa Cruz County, CA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $558 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 | $477† | $408† |
| Toddler | $326† | $335† |
| Preschool | $256† | $314† |
| School-age‡ | $142† | $227† |
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 Cruz County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $24,798 a year† — that is 19.5% of the county’s median family income of $127,331 (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 Cruz County?
Uses Santa Cruz County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
$24,798
per year · $2,066 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 19.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $8,913 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Santa Cruz County compares
- Santa Cruz County$477 /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 Cruz County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Monterey CountyCA | $403 /wk |
| San Benito CountyCA | $386 /wk |
| San Mateo CountyCA | $555 /wk |
| Santa Clara CountyCA | $527 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Santa Cruz County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $315 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $328 |
| 2010 | $324 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $321 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $317 |
| 2013 | $311 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $305 |
| 2015 | $327 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $350 |
| 2017 | $345 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $341 |
| 2019 | $336 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $331 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $477 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Santa Cruz County?
- The median price is $477 per week ($2,066 per month, $24,798 per year) at a child care center in Santa Cruz County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Santa Cruz County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $24,798 a year, or 19.5% 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 Santa Cruz County?
- The median price is $408 per week ($1,767 per month, $21,200 per year) at a family child care home in Santa Cruz County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Santa Cruz County?
- The median price is $326 per week ($1,412 per month, $16,941 per year) at a child care center in Santa Cruz County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Santa Cruz County?
- The median price is $256 per week ($1,108 per month, $13,292 per year) at a child care center in Santa Cruz County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.