MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Cook County, IL?
In Cook County, IL, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $278 a week ($1,206 a month, $14,473 a year)†.
$278
per week · Cook County, IL · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $326 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 | $278† | $208† |
| Toddler | $220† | $194† |
| Preschool | $189† | $176† |
| School-age‡ | $83† | $52† |
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 Cook County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,473 a year† — that is 14.8% of the county’s median family income of $97,520 (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 Cook County?
Uses Cook County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN COOK COUNTY
$14,473
per year · $1,206 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 14.8%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,826 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Cook County compares
- Cook County$278 /wk†
- Illinois median$278 /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 Cook County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Berrien CountyMI | $137 /wk |
| DuPage CountyIL | $374 /wk |
| Kane CountyIL | $328 /wk |
| Lake CountyIL | $305 /wk |
| Lake CountyIN | no data available |
| McHenry CountyIL | $316 /wk |
| Porter CountyIN | no data available |
| Will CountyIL | $304 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Cook County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $245 |
| 2009 | $226 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $208 |
| 2011 | $234 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $260 |
| 2013 | $264 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $269 |
| 2015 | $273 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $278 |
| 2017 | $282 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $285 |
| 2019 | $283 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $282 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $280 |
| 2022 | $278 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $278 per week ($1,206 per month, $14,473 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Cook County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,473 a year, or 14.8% 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 Cook County?
- The median price is $208 per week ($900 per month, $10,804 per year) at a family child care home in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $220 per week ($953 per month, $11,440 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $189 per week ($820 per month, $9,837 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.