U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Iowa
Full-time care for an infant at a Iowa child care center had a median price of $166 a week in 2022, about $720 a month. That is $94 below the U.S. median of $260, and No. 37 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $166a week, infant at a center
- $143a week, toddler at a center
- $143a week, preschooler at a center
- $112a week, infant at a home daycare
Iowa prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $166 | $720 | $112 | $484 |
| Toddler | $143 | $621 | $110 | $476 |
| Preschool | $143 | $621 | $110 | $476 |
| School-age | $115 | $496 | $106 | $460 |
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 Iowa 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 99 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $113 |
| Cerro Gordo County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $108 |
| Clinton County | $158 | $136 | $136 | $109 | $107 |
| Dallas County | $185 | $160 | $160 | $128 | $125 |
| Dubuque County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $115 | $112 |
| Johnson County | $177 | $152 | $152 | $122 | $119 |
| Linn County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $111 |
| Marshall County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $109 |
| Muscatine County | $167 | $144 | $144 | $115 | $113 |
| Polk County | $177 | $153 | $153 | $122 | $119 |
| Pottawattamie County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $114 |
| Scott County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $113 |
| Story County | $170 | $147 | $147 | $117 | $115 |
| Warren County | $169 | $146 | $146 | $117 | $114 |
| Woodbury County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $112 |
All 99 Iowa counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $105 |
| Adams County | $163 | $141 | $141 | $112 | $107 |
| Allamakee County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $104 |
| Appanoose County | $155 | $134 | $134 | $107 | $105 |
| Audubon County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $105 |
| Benton County | $163 | $141 | $141 | $112 | $107 |
| Black Hawk County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $113 |
| Boone County | $163 | $140 | $140 | $112 | $110 |
| Bremer County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $107 |
| Buchanan County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $109 | $107 |
| Buena Vista County | $157 | $136 | $136 | $109 | $106 |
| Butler County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Calhoun County | $158 | $136 | $136 | $109 | $104 |
| Carroll County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $103 |
| Cass County | $152 | $131 | $131 | $105 | $103 |
| Cedar County | $167 | $144 | $144 | $115 | $110 |
| Cerro Gordo County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $108 |
| Cherokee County | $150 | $129 | $129 | $103 | $101 |
| Chickasaw County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Clarke County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $103 |
| Clay County | $156 | $134 | $134 | $107 | $105 |
| Clayton County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $105 |
| Clinton County | $158 | $136 | $136 | $109 | $107 |
| Crawford County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $104 |
| Dallas County | $185 | $160 | $160 | $128 | $125 |
| Davis County | $167 | $144 | $144 | $115 | $110 |
| Decatur County | $152 | $131 | $131 | $105 | $100 |
| Delaware County | $161 | $138 | $138 | $111 | $106 |
| Des Moines County | $163 | $141 | $141 | $112 | $110 |
| Dickinson County | $165 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $112 |
| Dubuque County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $115 | $112 |
| Emmet County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $104 |
| Fayette County | $162 | $140 | $140 | $112 | $106 |
| Floyd County | $148 | $128 | $128 | $102 | $100 |
| Franklin County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $103 |
| Fremont County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $109 | $104 |
| Greene County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $108 |
| Grundy County | $162 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Guthrie County | $164 | $141 | $141 | $113 | $108 |
| Hamilton County | $161 | $138 | $138 | $111 | $108 |
| Hancock County | $163 | $141 | $141 | $112 | $107 |
| Hardin County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Harrison County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $109 |
| Henry County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $104 |
| Howard County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $106 | $103 |
| Humboldt County | $151 | $130 | $130 | $104 | $102 |
| Ida County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $101 |
| Iowa County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $105 |
| Jackson County | $155 | $133 | $133 | $107 | $104 |
| Jasper County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $108 |
| Jefferson County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $108 |
| Johnson County | $177 | $152 | $152 | $122 | $119 |
| Jones County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $103 |
| Keokuk County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $105 |
| Kossuth County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $108 |
| Lee County | $157 | $135 | $135 | $108 | $106 |
| Linn County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $111 |
| Louisa County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Lucas County | $157 | $135 | $135 | $108 | $106 |
| Lyon County | $163 | $141 | $141 | $113 | $107 |
| Madison County | $169 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $114 |
| Mahaska County | $157 | $135 | $135 | $108 | $106 |
| Marion County | $162 | $140 | $140 | $112 | $109 |
| Marshall County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $109 |
| Mills County | $163 | $140 | $140 | $112 | $110 |
| Mitchell County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $104 |
| Monona County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $106 |
| Monroe County | $155 | $134 | $134 | $107 | $105 |
| Montgomery County | $154 | $132 | $132 | $106 | $104 |
| Muscatine County | $167 | $144 | $144 | $115 | $113 |
| O'Brien County | $152 | $131 | $131 | $105 | $103 |
| Osceola County | $159 | $137 | $137 | $110 | $107 |
| Page County | $155 | $133 | $133 | $107 | $104 |
| Palo Alto County | $149 | $128 | $128 | $103 | $100 |
| Plymouth County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $109 |
| Pocahontas County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $105 |
| Polk County | $177 | $153 | $153 | $122 | $119 |
| Pottawattamie County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $114 |
| Poweshiek County | $161 | $139 | $139 | $111 | $109 |
| Ringgold County | $158 | $136 | $136 | $109 | $104 |
| Sac County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $106 | $101 |
| Scott County | $168 | $145 | $145 | $116 | $113 |
| Shelby County | $164 | $141 | $141 | $113 | $111 |
| Sioux County | $160 | $138 | $138 | $110 | $108 |
| Story County | $170 | $147 | $147 | $117 | $115 |
| Tama County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $109 |
| Taylor County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $101 |
| Union County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $103 |
| Van Buren County | $155 | $133 | $133 | $107 | $102 |
| Wapello County | $165 | $142 | $142 | $113 | $111 |
| Warren County | $169 | $146 | $146 | $117 | $114 |
| Washington County | $162 | $140 | $140 | $112 | $109 |
| Wayne County | $153 | $132 | $132 | $105 | $100 |
| Webster County | $156 | $134 | $134 | $107 | $105 |
| Winnebago County | $151 | $130 | $130 | $104 | $102 |
| Winneshiek County | $157 | $135 | $135 | $108 | $106 |
| Woodbury County | $166 | $143 | $143 | $114 | $112 |
| Worth County | $157 | $135 | $135 | $108 | $103 |
| Wright County | $154 | $133 | $133 | $106 | $104 |
Head Start in Iowa
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 250 Iowa centers are on the federal list, with 6,174 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County | 24 | 597 |
| Polk County | 23 | 825 |
| Linn County | 18 | 355 |
| Woodbury County | 13 | 428 |
| Pottawattamie County | 7 | 191 |
| Johnson County | 6 | 174 |
| Scott County | 6 | 187 |
| Dubuque County | 5 | 106 |
| Marshall County | 5 | 131 |
| Sioux County | 5 | 86 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Iowa
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Iowa, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the Midwest
- Illinois$283
- Indiana
- 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.