MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Lucas County, IA?
In Lucas County, IA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $157 a week ($680 a month, $8,164 a year)†.
$157
per week · Lucas County, IA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $184 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 | $157† | $106† |
| Toddler | $135† | $104† |
| Preschool | $135† | $104† |
| School-age‡ | $108† | $101† |
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 Lucas County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,164 a year† — that is 10.5% of the county’s median family income of $77,927 (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 Lucas County?
Uses Lucas County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN LUCAS COUNTY
$8,164
per year · $680 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 10.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,455 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Lucas County compares
- Lucas County$157 /wk†
- Iowa median$166 /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 Lucas County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Appanoose CountyIA | $155 /wk |
| Clarke CountyIA | $153 /wk |
| Decatur CountyIA | $152 /wk |
| Marion CountyIA | $162 /wk |
| Monroe CountyIA | $155 /wk |
| Warren CountyIA | $169 /wk |
| Wayne CountyIA | $153 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Lucas County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $152 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $153 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $154 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $155 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $156 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $156 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $157 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Lucas County?
- The median price is $157 per week ($680 per month, $8,164 per year) at a child care center in Lucas County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Lucas County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,164 a year, or 10.5% 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 Lucas County?
- The median price is $106 per week ($459 per month, $5,509 per year) at a family child care home in Lucas County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Lucas County?
- The median price is $135 per week ($586 per month, $7,035 per year) at a child care center in Lucas County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Lucas County?
- The median price is $135 per week ($586 per month, $7,035 per year) at a child care center in Lucas County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.