MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Dauphin County, PA?
In Dauphin County, PA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $228 a week ($988 a month, $11,856 a year)†.
$228
per week · Dauphin County, PA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $267 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 | $228† | $165† |
| Toddler | $198† | $150† |
| Preschool | $165† | $135† |
| School-age‡ | $197† | $113† |
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 Dauphin County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,856 a year† — that is 13.0% of the county’s median family income of $91,006 (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 Dauphin County?
Uses Dauphin County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN DAUPHIN COUNTY
$11,856
per year · $988 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 13.0%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,370 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Dauphin County compares
- Dauphin County$228 /wk†
- Pennsylvania median$218 /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 Dauphin County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Cumberland CountyPA | no data available |
| Juniata CountyPA | no data available |
| Lancaster CountyPA | no data available |
| Lebanon CountyPA | no data available |
| Northumberland CountyPA | no data available |
| Perry CountyPA | no data available |
| Schuylkill CountyPA | no data available |
| York CountyPA | no data available |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Dauphin County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $185 |
| 2009 | $188 |
| 2010 | $200 |
| 2011 | $205 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $210 |
| 2013 | $211 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $213 |
| 2015 | $217 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $222 |
| 2017 | $224 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $225 |
| 2019 | $227 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $228 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Dauphin County?
- The median price is $228 per week ($988 per month, $11,856 per year) at a child care center in Dauphin County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Dauphin County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,856 a year, or 13.0% 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 Dauphin County?
- The median price is $165 per week ($715 per month, $8,580 per year) at a family child care home in Dauphin County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Dauphin County?
- The median price is $198 per week ($856 per month, $10,270 per year) at a child care center in Dauphin County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Dauphin County?
- The median price is $165 per week ($715 per month, $8,580 per year) at a child care center in Dauphin County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.