MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Polk County, IA?
In Polk County, IA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $177 a week ($768 a month, $9,220 a year)†.
$177
per week · Polk County, IA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $207 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 | $177† | $119† |
| Toddler | $153† | $117† |
| Preschool | $153† | $117† |
| School-age‡ | $122† | $113† |
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 Polk County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,220 a year† — that is 9.3% of the county’s median family income of $99,161 (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 Polk County?
Uses Polk County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN POLK COUNTY
$9,220
per year · $768 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 9.3%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,941 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Polk County compares
- Polk County$177 /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 Polk County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Boone CountyIA | $163 /wk |
| Dallas CountyIA | $185 /wk |
| Jasper CountyIA | $160 /wk |
| Madison CountyIA | $169 /wk |
| Marion CountyIA | $162 /wk |
| Story CountyIA | $170 /wk |
| Warren CountyIA | $169 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Polk County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $216 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $209 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $203 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $196 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $190 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $184 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $177 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $177 per week ($768 per month, $9,220 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Polk County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,220 a year, or 9.3% 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 Polk County?
- The median price is $119 per week ($516 per month, $6,193 per year) at a family child care home in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $153 per week ($662 per month, $7,945 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $153 per week ($662 per month, $7,945 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.