U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Illinois
Full-time care for an infant at a Illinois child care center had a median price of $283 a week in 2022, about $1,227 a month. That is $23 above the U.S. median of $260, and No. 16 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $283a week, infant at a center
- $229a week, toddler at a center
- $210a week, preschooler at a center
- $197a week, infant at a home daycare
Illinois prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $283 | $1,227 | $197 | $854 |
| Toddler | $229 | $993 | $187 | $809 |
| Preschool | $210 | $910 | $173 | $749 |
| School-age | $71 | $309 | $51 | $220 |
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 Illinois 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 58 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County | $309 | $275 | $239 | $52 | $148 |
| Cook County | $278 | $220 | $189 | $83 | $208 |
| DuPage County | $374 | $280 | $316 | $75 | $235 |
| Kane County | $328 | $253 | $277 | $71 | $235 |
| Kendall County | $286 | $235 | $228 | $58 | $208 |
| Lake County | $305 | $247 | $236 | $81 | $208 |
| Madison County | $288 | $235 | $208 | $95 | $181 |
| McHenry County | $316 | $256 | $281 | $77 | $208 |
| McLean County | $314 | $282 | $279 | $89 | $181 |
| Peoria County | $279 | $215 | $194 | $59 | $187 |
| Rock Island County | $282 | $215 | $175 | $44 | $186 |
| Sangamon County | $196 | $188 | $175 | $41 | $181 |
| St. Clair County | $238 | $195 | $162 | $36 | $186 |
| Will County | $304 | $282 | $255 | $58 | $187 |
| Winnebago County | $282 | $215 | $185 | $43 | $161 |
All 58 Illinois counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $214 | $152 | $152 | $30 | $132 |
| Bond County | $191 | $198 | $205 | $37 | |
| Boone County | $288 | $222 | $182 | $186 | $186 |
| Bureau County | $207 | $182 | $120 | $145 | |
| Champaign County | $309 | $275 | $239 | $52 | $148 |
| Christian County | $155 | $158 | $142 | $42 | $176 |
| Clinton County | $184 | $170 | $162 | $41 | $158 |
| Coles County | $173 | $158 | $148 | $35 | $158 |
| Cook County | $278 | $220 | $189 | $83 | $208 |
| DeKalb County | $293 | $240 | $236 | $70 | $193 |
| DuPage County | $374 | $280 | $316 | $75 | $235 |
| Effingham County | $151 | $141 | $125 | $26 | $132 |
| Fayette County | $154 | $149 | $125 | $34 | $156 |
| Franklin County | $191 | $165 | $138 | $192 | |
| Fulton County | $184 | $173 | $166 | $55 | $158 |
| Grundy County | $264 | $205 | $189 | $38 | |
| Hamilton County | $131 | $105 | $112 | ||
| Henry County | $227 | $205 | $182 | $40 | $158 |
| Jackson County | $264 | $218 | $185 | $188 | |
| Jefferson County | $244 | $205 | $178 | $180 | |
| Kane County | $328 | $253 | $277 | $71 | $235 |
| Kankakee County | $202 | $199 | $133 | $35 | $147 |
| Kendall County | $286 | $235 | $228 | $58 | $208 |
| Knox County | $311 | $252 | $258 | $158 | |
| Lake County | $305 | $247 | $236 | $81 | $208 |
| LaSalle County | $264 | $185 | $172 | $40 | $192 |
| Lee County | $244 | $252 | $158 | $41 | $158 |
| Livingston County | $177 | $152 | $68 | $158 | |
| Macon County | $231 | $205 | $192 | $39 | $147 |
| Macoupin County | $197 | $177 | $189 | $36 | $132 |
| Madison County | $288 | $235 | $208 | $95 | $181 |
| Marion County | $165 | $152 | $132 | $30 | $125 |
| McDonough County | $163 | $181 | $158 | $92 | |
| McHenry County | $316 | $256 | $281 | $77 | $208 |
| McLean County | $314 | $282 | $279 | $89 | $181 |
| Menard County | $190 | $170 | $162 | $158 | |
| Mercer County | $184 | $172 | $158 | ||
| Monroe County | $201 | $188 | $168 | $42 | |
| Montgomery County | $191 | $185 | $158 | $158 | |
| Morgan County | $226 | $172 | $158 | $36 | $182 |
| Moultrie County | $191 | $162 | $141 | $30 | $185 |
| Ogle County | $255 | $202 | $175 | $64 | $171 |
| Peoria County | $279 | $215 | $194 | $59 | $187 |
| Perry County | $177 | $205 | $172 | $188 | |
| Randolph County | $231 | $232 | $205 | $52 | $125 |
| Rock Island County | $282 | $215 | $175 | $44 | $186 |
| Saline County | $224 | $192 | $158 | $35 | $196 |
| Sangamon County | $196 | $188 | $175 | $41 | $181 |
| St. Clair County | $238 | $195 | $162 | $36 | $186 |
| Tazewell County | $280 | $215 | $182 | $54 | $181 |
| Vermilion County | $177 | $152 | $125 | $37 | $180 |
| Wayne County | $264 | $205 | $172 | $155 | $125 |
| White County | $264 | $205 | $172 | ||
| Whiteside County | $236 | $210 | $175 | $44 | $161 |
| Will County | $304 | $282 | $255 | $58 | $187 |
| Williamson County | $264 | $205 | $172 | $28 | $185 |
| Winnebago County | $282 | $215 | $185 | $43 | $161 |
| Woodford County | $267 | $228 | $220 | $147 |
Head Start in Illinois
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 636 Illinois centers are on the federal list, with 22,800 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 353 | 10,879 |
| DuPage County | 15 | 658 |
| Rock Island County | 15 | 577 |
| St. Clair County | 15 | 739 |
| Kankakee County | 13 | 479 |
| Will County | 12 | 649 |
| Champaign County | 10 | 417 |
| Kane County | 10 | 388 |
| LaSalle County | 10 | 180 |
| Madison County | 10 | 646 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Illinois
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Illinois, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the Midwest
- Indiana
- Iowa$166
- Kansas$157
- Michigan$166
- Minnesota$323
- Missouri
- Nebraska$219
- North Dakota$215
- Ohio$265
- South Dakota$149
- Wisconsin$257
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.