MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Mercer County, IL?
In Mercer County, IL, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $184 a week ($798 a month, $9,574 a year)†.
$184
per week · Mercer County, IL · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $215 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 | $184† | $158† |
| Toddler | no data available | no data available |
| Preschool | $172† | $158† |
| School-age‡ | no data available | $38† |
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 Mercer County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,574 a year† — that is 11.4% of the county’s median family income of $84,315 (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 Mercer County?
Uses Mercer County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN MERCER COUNTY
$9,574
per year · $798 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.4%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,902 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Mercer County compares
- Mercer County$184 /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 Mercer County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Des Moines CountyIA | $163 /wk |
| Henderson CountyIL | no data available |
| Henry CountyIL | $227 /wk |
| Knox CountyIL | $311 /wk |
| Louisa CountyIA | $161 /wk |
| Rock Island CountyIL | $282 /wk |
| Warren CountyIL | no data available |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Mercer County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $136 |
| 2009 | $142 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $148 |
| 2011 | $151 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $155 |
| 2013 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $165 |
| 2015 | $166 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $168 |
| 2017 | $168 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $168 |
| 2019 | $172 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $176 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $180 |
| 2022 | $184 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Mercer County?
- The median price is $184 per week ($798 per month, $9,574 per year) at a child care center in Mercer County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Mercer County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,574 a year, or 11.4% 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 Mercer County?
- The median price is $158 per week ($686 per month, $8,233 per year) at a family child care home in Mercer County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Mercer County?
- The median price is $172 per week ($744 per month, $8,927 per year) at a child care center in Mercer County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.