MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Palo Alto County, IA?
In Palo Alto County, IA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $149 a week ($645 a month, $7,736 a year)†.
$149
per week · Palo Alto County, IA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $174 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 | $149† | $100† |
| Toddler | $128† | $99† |
| Preschool | $128† | $99† |
| School-age‡ | $103† | $95† |
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 Palo Alto County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,736 a year† — that is 9.0% of the county’s median family income of $86,020 (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 Palo Alto County?
Uses Palo Alto County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN PALO ALTO COUNTY
$7,736
per year · $645 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 9.0%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,021 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Palo Alto County compares
- Palo Alto County$149 /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 Palo Alto County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Buena Vista CountyIA | $157 /wk |
| Clay CountyIA | $156 /wk |
| Dickinson CountyIA | $165 /wk |
| Emmet CountyIA | $154 /wk |
| Humboldt CountyIA | $151 /wk |
| Kossuth CountyIA | $160 /wk |
| Pocahontas CountyIA | $160 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Palo Alto County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $146 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $146 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $147 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $147 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $148 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $148 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $149 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Palo Alto County?
- The median price is $149 per week ($645 per month, $7,736 per year) at a child care center in Palo Alto County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Palo Alto County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,736 a year, or 9.0% 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 Palo Alto County?
- The median price is $100 per week ($435 per month, $5,220 per year) at a family child care home in Palo Alto County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Palo Alto County?
- The median price is $128 per week ($555 per month, $6,666 per year) at a child care center in Palo Alto County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Palo Alto County?
- The median price is $128 per week ($555 per month, $6,666 per year) at a child care center in Palo Alto County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.