U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Alabama
Full-time care for an infant at a Alabama child care center had a median price of $136 a week in 2022, about $588 a month. That is $125 below the U.S. median of $260, and No. 44 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $136a week, infant at a center
- $134a week, toddler at a center
- $125a week, preschooler at a center
- $129a week, infant at a home daycare
Alabama prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $136 | $588 | $129 | $558 |
| Toddler | $134 | $579 | $126 | $547 |
| Preschool | $125 | $543 | $123 | $534 |
| School-age | $115 | $498 | $114 | $496 |
State medians of full-time weekly prices, 2022. A month is a week times 52, divided by 12.
- Under $171
- $171 to $234
- $234 to $307
- Over $307
- No federal price
- Inspection records
Daycare cost by Alabama county
Weekly medians for full-time care in the 15 most populous counties. Center prices first, then the infant price at a home. Open "All 67 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County | $133 | $129 | $123 | $111 | $129 |
| Calhoun County | $115 | $115 | $115 | $102 | $104 |
| Etowah County | $118 | $109 | $104 | $105 | $83 |
| Houston County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Jefferson County | $147 | $151 | $139 | $124 | $146 |
| Lauderdale County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Lee County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $119 | $134 |
| Limestone County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Madison County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Marshall County | $118 | $109 | $104 | $105 | $83 |
| Mobile County | $133 | $129 | $123 | $111 | $129 |
| Montgomery County | $146 | $138 | $125 | $113 | $136 |
| Morgan County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Shelby County | $147 | $152 | $139 | $125 | $146 |
| Tuscaloosa County | $136 | $132 | $129 | $125 | $104 |
All 67 Alabama counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County | $146 | $139 | $125 | $114 | $136 |
| Baldwin County | $133 | $129 | $123 | $111 | $129 |
| Barbour County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Bibb County | $136 | $132 | $129 | $125 | $104 |
| Blount County | $146 | $150 | $138 | $124 | $146 |
| Bullock County | $146 | $139 | $125 | $114 | $136 |
| Butler County | $145 | $138 | $124 | $113 | $136 |
| Calhoun County | $115 | $115 | $115 | $102 | $104 |
| Chambers County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $119 | $134 |
| Cherokee County | $118 | $108 | $103 | $105 | $83 |
| Chilton County | $145 | $138 | $124 | $113 | $136 |
| Choctaw County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Clarke County | $132 | $128 | $122 | $111 | $129 |
| Clay County | $114 | $114 | $114 | $101 | $103 |
| Cleburne County | $114 | $114 | $114 | $101 | $103 |
| Coffee County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Colbert County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Conecuh County | $132 | $128 | $122 | $111 | $129 |
| Coosa County | $114 | $114 | $114 | $101 | $103 |
| Covington County | $146 | $139 | $125 | $114 | $136 |
| Crenshaw County | $121 | $116 | $110 | $103 | $105 |
| Cullman County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $112 | $146 |
| Dale County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Dallas County | $146 | $139 | $125 | $114 | $136 |
| DeKalb County | $118 | $108 | $103 | $105 | $83 |
| Elmore County | $146 | $139 | $125 | $114 | $136 |
| Escambia County | $133 | $129 | $123 | $111 | $129 |
| Etowah County | $118 | $109 | $104 | $105 | $83 |
| Fayette County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Franklin County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $112 | $146 |
| Geneva County | $121 | $116 | $110 | $103 | $105 |
| Greene County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Hale County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Henry County | $121 | $116 | $110 | $103 | $105 |
| Houston County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Jackson County | $118 | $108 | $103 | $105 | $83 |
| Jefferson County | $147 | $151 | $139 | $124 | $146 |
| Lamar County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Lauderdale County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Lawrence County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $112 | $146 |
| Lee County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $119 | $134 |
| Limestone County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Lowndes County | $145 | $138 | $124 | $113 | $136 |
| Macon County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $119 | $134 |
| Madison County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Marengo County | $136 | $132 | $129 | $125 | $104 |
| Marion County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Marshall County | $118 | $109 | $104 | $105 | $83 |
| Mobile County | $133 | $129 | $123 | $111 | $129 |
| Monroe County | $132 | $128 | $122 | $111 | $129 |
| Montgomery County | $146 | $138 | $125 | $113 | $136 |
| Morgan County | $136 | $135 | $127 | $113 | $146 |
| Perry County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Pickens County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Pike County | $122 | $117 | $110 | $104 | $105 |
| Randolph County | $114 | $114 | $114 | $101 | $103 |
| Russell County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $119 | $134 |
| Shelby County | $147 | $152 | $139 | $125 | $146 |
| St. Clair County | $146 | $150 | $138 | $124 | $146 |
| Sumter County | $136 | $132 | $128 | $124 | $103 |
| Talladega County | $115 | $115 | $115 | $102 | $104 |
| Tallapoosa County | $134 | $133 | $125 | $118 | $133 |
| Tuscaloosa County | $136 | $132 | $129 | $125 | $104 |
| Walker County | $146 | $150 | $138 | $124 | $146 |
| Washington County | $132 | $128 | $122 | $111 | $129 |
| Wilcox County | $145 | $138 | $124 | $113 | $136 |
| Winston County | $135 | $134 | $126 | $112 | $146 |
Head Start in Alabama
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 222 Alabama centers are on the federal list, with 8,241 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile County | 27 | 957 |
| Jefferson County | 18 | 912 |
| Morgan County | 10 | 238 |
| Talladega County | 9 | 226 |
| Elmore County | 7 | 233 |
| Walker County | 7 | 190 |
| Calhoun County | 6 | 268 |
| DeKalb County | 6 | 117 |
| Macon County | 6 | 195 |
| Madison County | 6 | 170 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Alabama
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Alabama, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the South
- Arkansas
- Delaware$238
- District of Columbia$490
- Florida$225
- Georgia$167
- Kentucky$159
- Louisiana$150
- Maryland$330
- Mississippi$132
- North Carolina$219
- Oklahoma$212
- South Carolina$185
- Tennessee$189
- Texas$174
- Virginia$261
- West Virginia$168
Prices shown as "county median" are from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices (latest year available, 2022), as stated on our data sources page.