MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Lake County, MT?
In Lake County, MT, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $226 a week ($978 a month, $11,733 a year)†.
$226
per week · Lake County, MT · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $264 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 | $226† | $178† |
| Toddler | $235† | $181† |
| Preschool | $202† | $181† |
| School-age‡ | $202† | $168† |
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 Lake County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,733 a year† — that is 16.3% of the county’s median family income of $72,147 (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 Lake County?
Uses Lake County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN LAKE COUNTY
$11,733
per year · $978 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 16.3%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,050 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Lake County compares
- Lake County$226 /wk†
- Montana median$222 /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 Lake County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Flathead CountyMT | $222 /wk |
| Missoula CountyMT | $219 /wk |
| Sanders CountyMT | $214 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Lake County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $135 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $148 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $161 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $174 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $187 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $200 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $213 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $226 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $226 per week ($978 per month, $11,733 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Lake County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,733 a year, or 16.3% 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 Lake County?
- The median price is $178 per week ($769 per month, $9,232 per year) at a family child care home in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $235 per week ($1,018 per month, $12,214 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Lake County?
- The median price is $202 per week ($874 per month, $10,482 per year) at a child care center in Lake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.