MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Shelby County, IA?
In Shelby County, IA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $164 a week ($710 a month, $8,524 a year)†.
$164
per week · Shelby County, IA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $192 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 | $164† | $111† |
| Toddler | $141† | $109† |
| Preschool | $141† | $109† |
| School-age‡ | $113† | $105† |
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 Shelby County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,524 a year† — that is 9.5% of the county’s median family income of $90,041 (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 Shelby County?
Uses Shelby County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SHELBY COUNTY
$8,524
per year · $710 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 9.5%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,303 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Shelby County compares
- Shelby County$164 /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 Shelby County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Audubon CountyIA | $159 /wk |
| Carroll CountyIA | $153 /wk |
| Cass CountyIA | $152 /wk |
| Crawford CountyIA | $154 /wk |
| Harrison CountyIA | $166 /wk |
| Pottawattamie CountyIA | $168 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Shelby County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $144 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $147 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $151 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $154 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $157 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $161 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $164 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $164 per week ($710 per month, $8,524 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Shelby County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,524 a year, or 9.5% 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 Shelby County?
- The median price is $111 per week ($479 per month, $5,752 per year) at a family child care home in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $141 per week ($612 per month, $7,345 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $141 per week ($612 per month, $7,345 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.