MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Polk County, FL?
In Polk County, FL, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $230 a week ($997 a month, $11,960 a year).
$230
per week · Polk County, FL · 2022 (latest official data)
≈ $269 per week in 2025 dollars — estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure · how we estimate this
MEDIAN PRICE · BY AGE & SETTING · PER WEEK
| Age | Center-based | Family childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $230 | $200 |
| Toddler | $155 | $165 |
| Preschool | $140 | $145 |
| School-age‡ | $110 | $120 |
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.
AFFORDABILITY · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · VS 7%
Is childcare affordable in Polk County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,960 a year — that is 17.2% of the county’s median family income of $69,667 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Polk County?
Uses Polk County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN POLK COUNTY
$11,960
per year · $997 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 17.2%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $4,877 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Polk County compares
- Polk County$230 /wk
- Florida median$225 /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 Polk County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Hardee CountyFL | $150 /wk |
| Highlands CountyFL | $170 /wk |
| Hillsborough CountyFL | $240 /wk |
| Lake CountyFL | $200 /wk |
| Manatee CountyFL | $220 /wk |
| Okeechobee CountyFL | no data available |
| Orange CountyFL | $225 /wk |
| Osceola CountyFL | $203 /wk |
| Pasco CountyFL | $225 /wk |
| Sumter CountyFL | $225 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Polk County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $118 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $126 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $130 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $134 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $138 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $142 |
| 2014 | $144 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $147 |
| 2016 | $151 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $156 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $161 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $166 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $170 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $175 |
| 2022 | $230 |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $230 per week ($997 per month, $11,960 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- Is childcare affordable in Polk County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,960 a year, or 17.2% 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 Polk County?
- The median price is $200 per week ($867 per month, $10,400 per year) at a family child care home in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $155 per week ($672 per month, $8,060 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does preschool cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $140 per week ($607 per month, $7,280 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data).