MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Bay County, MI?
In Bay County, MI, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $170 a week ($736 a month, $8,836 a year)†.
$170
per week · Bay County, MI · 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† | $160† |
| Toddler | $180† | $160† |
| Preschool | $180† | $156† |
| School-age‡ | $184† | $151† |
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 Bay County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,836 a year† — that is 11.8% of the county’s median family income of $75,163 (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 Bay County?
Uses Bay County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN BAY COUNTY
$8,836
per year · $736 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.8%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,261 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Bay County compares
- Bay County$170 /wk†
- Michigan median$173 /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 Bay County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Arenac CountyMI | $135 /wk |
| Gladwin CountyMI | $132 /wk |
| Huron CountyMI | $119 /wk |
| Midland CountyMI | $133 /wk |
| Saginaw CountyMI | $151 /wk |
| Tuscola CountyMI | $107 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Bay County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $137 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $109 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $117 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $125 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $131 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $137 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $139 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $141 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $144 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $147 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $150 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $155 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $160 |
| 2021 | $165 (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 Bay County?
- The median price is $170 per week ($736 per month, $8,836 per year) at a child care center in Bay County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Bay County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,836 a year, or 11.8% 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 Bay County?
- The median price is $160 per week ($693 per month, $8,320 per year) at a family child care home in Bay County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Bay County?
- The median price is $180 per week ($780 per month, $9,354 per year) at a child care center in Bay County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Bay County?
- The median price is $180 per week ($780 per month, $9,354 per year) at a child care center in Bay County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.