MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in New Castle County, DE?
In New Castle County, DE, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $280 a week ($1,215 a month, $14,575 a year)†.
$280
per week · New Castle County, DE · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $328 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 | $280† | $182† |
| Toddler | $199† | $154† |
| Preschool | $210† | $155† |
| School-age‡ | $106† | $86† |
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 New Castle County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,575 a year† — that is 13.5% of the county’s median family income of $107,671 (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 New Castle County?
Uses New Castle County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY
$14,575
per year · $1,215 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 13.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,537 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How New Castle County compares
- New Castle County$280 /wk†
- Delaware median$280 /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 New Castle County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Cecil CountyMD | $254 /wk |
| Chester CountyPA | no data available |
| Delaware CountyPA | no data available |
| Gloucester CountyNJ | $304 /wk |
| Kent CountyDE | $182 /wk |
| Kent CountyMD | $217 /wk |
| Salem CountyNJ | $284 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in New Castle County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $194 |
| 2009 | $199 |
| 2010 | $204 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $209 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $210 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $211 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $218 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $225 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $234 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $244 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $253 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $260 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $267 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $273 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $280 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in New Castle County?
- The median price is $280 per week ($1,215 per month, $14,575 per year) at a child care center in New Castle County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in New Castle County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,575 a year, or 13.5% 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 New Castle County?
- The median price is $182 per week ($787 per month, $9,447 per year) at a family child care home in New Castle County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in New Castle County?
- The median price is $199 per week ($863 per month, $10,359 per year) at a child care center in New Castle County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in New Castle County?
- The median price is $210 per week ($911 per month, $10,934 per year) at a child care center in New Castle County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.