What child care costs in California
Median monthly prices by county, from the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (2018 data). These are county medians, not any particular program’s rates.
| County | Infant · center | Toddler · center | Preschool · center | Infant · home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $1,704 | $1,322 | $1,322 | $1,258 |
| Alpine | $1,336 | $699 | $699 | $732 |
| Amador | $808 | $671 | $671 | $699 |
| Butte | $1,247 | $800 | $800 | $841 |
| Calaveras | $1,025 | $726 | $726 | $704 |
| Colusa | $933 | $682 | $682 | $693 |
| Contra Costa | $1,591 | $1,232 | $1,232 | $1,111 |
| Del Norte | $790 | $661 | $661 | $666 |
| El Dorado | $1,393 | $929 | $929 | $884 |
| Fresno | $1,245 | $789 | $789 | $794 |
| Glenn | $839 | $673 | $673 | $682 |
| Humboldt | $1,290 | $856 | $856 | $817 |
| Imperial | $847 | $674 | $674 | $680 |
| Inyo | $1,271 | $786 | $786 | $805 |
| Kern | $1,242 | $762 | $762 | $769 |
| Kings | $918 | $682 | $682 | $705 |
| Lake | $921 | $726 | $726 | $750 |
| Lassen | $790 | $661 | $661 | $665 |
| Los Angeles | $1,448 | $1,045 | $1,045 | $937 |
| Madera | $1,168 | $696 | $696 | $731 |
| Marin | $1,810 | $1,403 | $1,403 | $1,368 |
| Mariposa | $896 | $679 | $679 | $669 |
| Mendocino | $979 | $750 | $750 | $775 |
| Merced | $861 | $737 | $737 | $746 |
| Modoc | $790 | $661 | $661 | $665 |
| Mono | $1,390 | $943 | $943 | $1,060 |
| Monterey | $1,324 | $870 | $870 | $815 |
| Napa | $1,415 | $992 | $992 | $951 |
| Nevada | $1,191 | $799 | $799 | $800 |
| Orange | $1,477 | $1,057 | $1,057 | $1,088 |
| Placer | $1,390 | $950 | $950 | $926 |
| Plumas | $790 | $661 | $661 | $665 |
| Riverside | $1,285 | $812 | $812 | $824 |
| Sacramento | $1,303 | $869 | $869 | $868 |
| San Benito | $1,275 | $823 | $823 | $826 |
| San Bernardino | $1,263 | $765 | $765 | $778 |
| San Diego | $1,423 | $1,010 | $1,010 | $910 |
| San Francisco | $2,003 | $1,545 | $1,545 | $1,379 |
| San Joaquin | $1,270 | $815 | $815 | $839 |
| San Luis Obispo | $1,357 | $908 | $908 | $883 |
| San Mateo | $1,832 | $1,416 | $1,416 | $1,308 |
| Santa Barbara | $1,487 | $1,065 | $1,065 | $928 |
| Santa Clara | $1,741 | $1,328 | $1,328 | $1,259 |
| Santa Cruz | $1,476 | $1,044 | $1,044 | $970 |
| Shasta | $933 | $715 | $715 | $748 |
| Sierra | $790 | $661 | $661 | $665 |
| Siskiyou | $887 | $699 | $699 | $745 |
| Solano | $1,312 | $872 | $872 | $873 |
| Sonoma | $1,416 | $979 | $979 | $980 |
| Stanislaus | $1,039 | $753 | $753 | $778 |
| Sutter | $1,152 | $772 | $772 | $788 |
| Tehama | $830 | $672 | $672 | $717 |
| Trinity | $790 | $661 | $661 | $701 |
| Tulare | $846 | $706 | $706 | $711 |
| Tuolumne | $926 | $747 | $747 | $779 |
| Ventura | $1,403 | $969 | $969 | $913 |
| Yolo | $1,455 | $1,040 | $1,040 | $934 |
| Yuba | $1,093 | $693 | $693 | $736 |
California reports a single combined price for the toddler and preschool age groups in the DOL database, so those two columns match by design.