MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Lancaster County, PA?
In Lancaster County, PA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $270 a week ($1,168 a month, $14,019 a year)†.
$270
per week · Lancaster County, PA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $315 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 | $270† | $150† |
| Toddler | $223† | $130† |
| Preschool | $196† | $130† |
| School-age‡ | $169† | $125† |
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 Lancaster County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,019 a year† — that is 14.4% of the county’s median family income of $97,622 (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 Lancaster County?
Uses Lancaster County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN LANCASTER COUNTY
$14,019
per year · $1,168 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 14.4%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,834 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Lancaster County compares
- Lancaster County$270 /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 Lancaster County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Berks CountyPA | no data available |
| Cecil CountyMD | $254 /wk |
| Chester CountyPA | no data available |
| Dauphin CountyPA | no data available |
| Harford CountyMD | $325 /wk |
| Lebanon CountyPA | no data available |
| York CountyPA | no data available |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Lancaster County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $193 |
| 2009 | $203 |
| 2010 | $206 |
| 2011 | $208 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $210 |
| 2013 | $217 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $225 |
| 2015 | $222 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $218 |
| 2017 | $231 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $244 |
| 2019 | $257 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $270 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Lancaster County?
- The median price is $270 per week ($1,168 per month, $14,019 per year) at a child care center in Lancaster County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Lancaster County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,019 a year, or 14.4% 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 Lancaster County?
- The median price is $150 per week ($650 per month, $7,800 per year) at a family child care home in Lancaster County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Lancaster County?
- The median price is $223 per week ($966 per month, $11,596 per year) at a child care center in Lancaster County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Lancaster County?
- The median price is $196 per week ($847 per month, $10,166 per year) at a child care center in Lancaster County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.