MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Essex County, MA?
In Essex County, MA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $462 a week ($2,000 a month, $24,001 a year).
$462
per week · Essex County, MA · 2022 (latest official data)
≈ $540 per week in 2025 dollars — estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure · how we estimate this
MEDIAN PRICE · BY AGE & SETTING · PER WEEK
| Age | Center-based | Family childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $462 | $250 |
| Toddler | $409 | $230 |
| Preschool | $310 | $200 |
| School-age‡ | $215 | $214 |
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.
AFFORDABILITY · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · VS 7%
Is childcare affordable in Essex County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $24,001 a year — that is 20.3% of the county’s median family income of $118,261 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Essex County?
Uses Essex County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN ESSEX COUNTY
$24,001
per year · $2,000 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 20.3%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $8,278 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Essex County compares
- Essex County$462 /wk
- Massachusetts median$462 /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 Essex County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Hillsborough CountyNH | $300 /wk |
| Middlesex CountyMA | $462 /wk |
| Rockingham CountyNH | $308 /wk |
| Suffolk CountyMA | $590 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Essex County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $335 |
| 2009 | $340 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $345 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $350 |
| 2012 | $353 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $357 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $360 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $363 |
| 2016 | $375 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $387 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $399 |
| 2019 | $415 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $430 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $446 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $462 |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Essex County?
- The median price is $462 per week ($2,000 per month, $24,001 per year) at a child care center in Essex County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- Is childcare affordable in Essex County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $24,001 a year, or 20.3% 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 Essex County?
- The median price is $250 per week ($1,083 per month, $13,000 per year) at a family child care home in Essex County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Essex County?
- The median price is $409 per week ($1,770 per month, $21,242 per year) at a child care center in Essex County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does preschool cost in Essex County?
- The median price is $310 per week ($1,343 per month, $16,120 per year) at a child care center in Essex County, based on 2022 (latest official data).