MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Stearns County, MN?
In Stearns County, MN, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $431 a week ($1,866 a month, $22,395 a year)†.
$431
per week · Stearns County, MN · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $504 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 | $431† | $143† |
| Toddler | $382† | $132† |
| Preschool | $337† | $132† |
| School-age‡ | $249† | $127† |
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 Stearns County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $22,395 a year† — that is 24.6% of the county’s median family income of $91,097 (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 Stearns County?
Uses Stearns County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN STEARNS COUNTY
$22,395
per year · $1,866 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 24.6%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,377 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Stearns County compares
- Stearns County$431 /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 Stearns County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Benton CountyMN | $247 /wk |
| Douglas CountyMN | $211 /wk |
| Kandiyohi CountyMN | $211 /wk |
| Meeker CountyMN | $211 /wk |
| Morrison CountyMN | $175 /wk |
| Pope CountyMN | $211 /wk |
| Sherburne CountyMN | $235 /wk |
| Todd CountyMN | $175 /wk |
| Wright CountyMN | $247 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Stearns County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $225 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $210 |
| 2010 | $195 |
| 2011 | $195 |
| 2012 | $197 |
| 2013 | $196 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $195 |
| 2015 | $201 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $206 |
| 2017 | $221 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $236 |
| 2019 | $285 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $333 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $382 |
| 2022 | $431 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Stearns County?
- The median price is $431 per week ($1,866 per month, $22,395 per year) at a child care center in Stearns County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Stearns County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $22,395 a year, or 24.6% 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 Stearns County?
- The median price is $143 per week ($621 per month, $7,453 per year) at a family child care home in Stearns County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Stearns County?
- The median price is $382 per week ($1,654 per month, $19,850 per year) at a child care center in Stearns County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Stearns County?
- The median price is $337 per week ($1,459 per month, $17,507 per year) at a child care center in Stearns County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.