MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Howard County, MD?
In Howard County, MD, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $414 a week ($1,794 a month, $21,533 a year)†.
$414
per week · Howard County, MD · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $484 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 | $414† | $288† |
| Toddler | $336† | $271† |
| Preschool | $336† | $271† |
| School-age‡ | $303† | $252† |
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 Howard County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $21,533 a year† — that is 12.7% of the county’s median family income of $169,085 (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 Howard County?
Uses Howard County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN HOWARD COUNTY
$21,533
per year · $1,794 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 12.7%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $11,836 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Howard County compares
- Howard County$414 /wk†
- Maryland median$327 /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 Howard County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Anne Arundel CountyMD | $327 /wk |
| Baltimore CountyMD | $345 /wk |
| Carroll CountyMD | $323 /wk |
| Frederick CountyMD | $325 /wk |
| Montgomery CountyMD | $414 /wk |
| Prince George's CountyMD | $327 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Howard County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2013 | $330 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $340 |
| 2015 | $350 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $360 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $370 |
| 2018 | $379 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $387 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $396 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $405 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $414 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Howard County?
- The median price is $414 per week ($1,794 per month, $21,533 per year) at a child care center in Howard County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Howard County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $21,533 a year, or 12.7% 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 Howard County?
- The median price is $288 per week ($1,246 per month, $14,957 per year) at a family child care home in Howard County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Howard County?
- The median price is $336 per week ($1,455 per month, $17,457 per year) at a child care center in Howard County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Howard County?
- The median price is $336 per week ($1,455 per month, $17,457 per year) at a child care center in Howard County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.