MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in St. Louis County, MO?
In St. Louis County, MO, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $274 a week ($1,187 a month, $14,245 a year)†.
$274
per week · St. Louis County, MO · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $320 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 | $274† | no data available |
| Toddler | $215† | no data available |
| Preschool | $215† | no data available |
| School-age‡ | $181† | no data available |
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 St. Louis County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,245 a year† — that is 13.6% of the county’s median family income of $104,371 (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 St. Louis County?
Uses St. Louis County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY
$14,245
per year · $1,187 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 13.6%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,306 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How St. Louis County compares
- St. Louis County$274 /wk†
- Missouri median$215 /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 St. Louis County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Franklin CountyMO | no data available |
| Jefferson CountyMO | no data available |
| Madison CountyIL | $288 /wk |
| Monroe CountyIL | $201 /wk |
| St. Charles CountyMO | no data available |
| St. Clair CountyIL | $238 /wk |
| St. Louis cityMO | no data available |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in St. Louis County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $159 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $197 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $236 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $274 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $312 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $274 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in St. Louis County?
- The median price is $274 per week ($1,187 per month, $14,245 per year) at a child care center in St. Louis County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in St. Louis County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,245 a year, or 13.6% of the county's median family income. That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in St. Louis County?
- The median price is $215 per week ($931 per month, $11,177 per year) at a child care center in St. Louis County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in St. Louis County?
- The median price is $215 per week ($931 per month, $11,177 per year) at a child care center in St. Louis County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does school-age childcare cost in St. Louis County?
- The median price is $181 per week ($785 per month, $9,423 per year) at a child care center in St. Louis County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL. School-age prices reflect a school-year, part-day arrangement, not full-day year-round care.