MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Pierce County, WA?
In Pierce County, WA, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $328 a week ($1,420 a month, $17,034 a year)†.
$328
per week · Pierce County, WA · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $383 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 | $328† | $254† |
| Toddler | $249† | $205† |
| Preschool | $249† | $209† |
| School-age‡ | $374† | $195† |
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 Pierce County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $17,034 a year† — that is 16.2% of the county’s median family income of $104,927 (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 Pierce County?
Uses Pierce County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN PIERCE COUNTY
$17,034
per year · $1,420 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 16.2%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,345 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Pierce County compares
- Pierce County$328 /wk†
- Washington median$357 /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 Pierce County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| King CountyWA | $478 /wk |
| Kitsap CountyWA | $328 /wk |
| Lewis CountyWA | $357 /wk |
| Mason CountyWA | $357 /wk |
| Thurston CountyWA | $357 /wk |
| Yakima CountyWA | $270 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Pierce County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $199 |
| 2009 | $222 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $245 |
| 2011 | $241 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $237 |
| 2013 | $304 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $370 |
| 2015 | $341 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $313 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $284 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $256 |
| 2019 | $274 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $292 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $310 |
| 2022 | $328 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Pierce County?
- The median price is $328 per week ($1,420 per month, $17,034 per year) at a child care center in Pierce County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Pierce County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $17,034 a year, or 16.2% 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 Pierce County?
- The median price is $254 per week ($1,100 per month, $13,200 per year) at a family child care home in Pierce County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Pierce County?
- The median price is $249 per week ($1,079 per month, $12,951 per year) at a child care center in Pierce County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Pierce County?
- The median price is $249 per week ($1,079 per month, $12,951 per year) at a child care center in Pierce County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.