MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Lake County, IL?
In Lake County, IL, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $305 a week ($1,323 a month, $15,881 a year)†.
$305
per week · Lake County, IL · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $357 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 | $305† | $208† |
| Toddler | $247† | $194† |
| Preschool | $236† | $176† |
| School-age‡ | $81† | $37† |
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 Lake County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $15,881 a year† — that is 12.5% of the county’s median family income of $126,685 (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 Lake County?
Uses Lake County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN LAKE COUNTY
$15,881
per year · $1,323 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 12.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $8,868 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Lake County compares
- Lake County$305 /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 Lake County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Allegan CountyMI | $124 /wk |
| Berrien CountyMI | $137 /wk |
| Cook CountyIL | $278 /wk |
| Kenosha CountyWI | $293 /wk |
| McHenry CountyIL | $316 /wk |
| Van Buren CountyMI | $133 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Lake 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 | $290 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $295 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $300 |
| 2022 | $305 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $305 per week ($1,323 per month, $15,881 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Lake County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $15,881 a year, or 12.5% 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 Lake County?
- The median price is $208 per week ($900 per month, $10,804 per year) at a family child care home in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $247 per week ($1,069 per month, $12,827 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $236 per week ($1,022 per month, $12,263 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.