MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Worcester County, MA?
In Worcester County, MA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $390 a week ($1,691 a month, $20,296 a year).
$390
per week · Worcester County, MA · 2022 (latest official data)
≈ $457 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 | $390 | $250 |
| Toddler | $350 | $248 |
| Preschool | $285 | $235 |
| School-age‡ | $210 | $225 |
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 Worcester County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,296 a year — that is 18.0% of the county’s median family income of $112,544 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Worcester County?
Uses Worcester County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN WORCESTER COUNTY
$20,296
per year · $1,691 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 18.0%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,878 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Worcester County compares
- Worcester County$390 /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 Worcester County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Cheshire CountyNH | $285 /wk |
| Franklin CountyMA | $330 /wk |
| Hampden CountyMA | $330 /wk |
| Hampshire CountyMA | $330 /wk |
| Hillsborough CountyNH | $300 /wk |
| Middlesex CountyMA | $462 /wk |
| Norfolk CountyMA | $555 /wk |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning RegionCT | no data available |
| Providence CountyRI | $290 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Worcester County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $270 |
| 2009 | $269 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $268 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $268 |
| 2012 | $271 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $274 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $277 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $280 |
| 2016 | $297 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $313 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $330 |
| 2019 | $345 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $360 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $375 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $390 |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Worcester County?
- The median price is $390 per week ($1,691 per month, $20,296 per year) at a child care center in Worcester County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- Is childcare affordable in Worcester County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $20,296 a year, or 18.0% 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 Worcester County?
- The median price is $250 per week ($1,083 per month, $13,000 per year) at a family child care home in Worcester County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Worcester County?
- The median price is $350 per week ($1,517 per month, $18,200 per year) at a child care center in Worcester County, based on 2022 (latest official data).
- How much does preschool cost in Worcester County?
- The median price is $285 per week ($1,235 per month, $14,820 per year) at a child care center in Worcester County, based on 2022 (latest official data).