MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Cook County, MN?
In Cook County, MN, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $247 a week ($1,070 a month, $12,844 a year)†.
$247
per week · Cook County, MN · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $289 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 | $247† | $205† |
| Toddler | $218† | $182† |
| Preschool | $206† | $185† |
| School-age‡ | $170† | $170† |
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 Cook County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $12,844 a year† — that is 14.1% of the county’s median family income of $91,315 (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 Cook County?
Uses Cook County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN COOK COUNTY
$12,844
per year · $1,070 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 14.1%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,392 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Cook County compares
- Cook County$247 /wk†
- Minnesota median$390 /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 Cook County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Ashland CountyWI | $210 /wk |
| Keweenaw CountyMI | $159 /wk |
| Lake CountyMN | $247 /wk |
| Ontonagon CountyMI | $178 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Cook County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $193 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $165 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $137 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $170 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $145 |
| 2013 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $175 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $168 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $161 |
| 2017 | $180 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $199 |
| 2019 | $211 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $223 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $235 |
| 2022 | $247 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $247 per week ($1,070 per month, $12,844 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Cook County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $12,844 a year, or 14.1% 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 Cook County?
- The median price is $205 per week ($888 per month, $10,660 per year) at a family child care home in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $218 per week ($946 per month, $11,353 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Cook County?
- The median price is $206 per week ($891 per month, $10,695 per year) at a child care center in Cook County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.