MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Story County, IA?
In Story County, IA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $170 a week ($738 a month, $8,858 a year)†.
$170
per week · Story County, IA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $199 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 | $170† | $115† |
| Toddler | $147† | $113† |
| Preschool | $147† | $113† |
| School-age‡ | $117† | $109† |
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 Story County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,858 a year† — that is 8.1% of the county’s median family income of $109,432 (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 Story County?
Uses Story County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN STORY COUNTY
$8,858
per year · $738 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 8.1%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,660 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Story County compares
- Story County$170 /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 Story County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Boone CountyIA | $163 /wk |
| Hamilton CountyIA | $161 /wk |
| Hardin CountyIA | $161 /wk |
| Jasper CountyIA | $160 /wk |
| Marshall CountyIA | $161 /wk |
| Polk CountyIA | $177 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Story County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $226 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $216 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $207 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $198 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $189 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $180 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $170 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Story County?
- The median price is $170 per week ($738 per month, $8,858 per year) at a child care center in Story County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Story County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,858 a year, or 8.1% 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 Story County?
- The median price is $115 per week ($498 per month, $5,977 per year) at a family child care home in Story County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Story County?
- The median price is $147 per week ($636 per month, $7,633 per year) at a child care center in Story County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Story County?
- The median price is $147 per week ($636 per month, $7,633 per year) at a child care center in Story County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.