U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Maine
Full-time care for an infant at a Maine child care center had a median price of $234 a week in 2022, about $1,012 a month. That is $27 below the U.S. median of $260, and No. 23 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $234a week, infant at a center
- $218a week, toddler at a center
- $205a week, preschooler at a center
- $180a week, infant at a home daycare
Maine prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $234 | $1,012 | $180 | $781 |
| Toddler | $218 | $943 | $168 | $728 |
| Preschool | $205 | $887 | $159 | $691 |
| School-age | $160 | $692 | $140 | $606 |
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 Maine 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 16 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin County | $224 | $213 | $172 | $145 | $163 |
| Aroostook County | $193 | $158 | $142 | $137 | $133 |
| Cumberland County | $252 | $252 | $261 | $158 | $207 |
| Franklin County | $175 | $163 | $155 | $140 | $170 |
| Hancock County | $229 | $229 | $194 | $92 | $155 |
| Kennebec County | $230 | $202 | $213 | $128 | $165 |
| Knox County | $225 | $218 | $193 | $267 | $157 |
| Lincoln County | $212 | $200 | $188 | $140 | $182 |
| Oxford County | $175 | $163 | $155 | $140 | $163 |
| Penobscot County | $256 | $204 | $188 | $193 | $183 |
| Sagadahoc County | $212 | $200 | $188 | $140 | $182 |
| Somerset County | $193 | $158 | $142 | $137 | $155 |
| Waldo County | $225 | $218 | $193 | $267 | $157 |
| Washington County | $229 | $229 | $194 | $92 | $155 |
| York County | $262 | $252 | $223 | $179 | $206 |
All 16 Maine counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin County | $224 | $213 | $172 | $145 | $163 |
| Aroostook County | $193 | $158 | $142 | $137 | $133 |
| Cumberland County | $252 | $252 | $261 | $158 | $207 |
| Franklin County | $175 | $163 | $155 | $140 | $170 |
| Hancock County | $229 | $229 | $194 | $92 | $155 |
| Kennebec County | $230 | $202 | $213 | $128 | $165 |
| Knox County | $225 | $218 | $193 | $267 | $157 |
| Lincoln County | $212 | $200 | $188 | $140 | $182 |
| Oxford County | $175 | $163 | $155 | $140 | $163 |
| Penobscot County | $256 | $204 | $188 | $193 | $183 |
| Piscataquis County | $193 | $158 | $142 | $137 | $155 |
| Sagadahoc County | $212 | $200 | $188 | $140 | $182 |
| Somerset County | $193 | $158 | $142 | $137 | $155 |
| Waldo County | $225 | $218 | $193 | $267 | $157 |
| Washington County | $229 | $229 | $194 | $92 | $155 |
| York County | $262 | $252 | $223 | $179 | $206 |
Head Start in Maine
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 95 Maine centers are on the federal list, with 1,952 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford County | 12 | 236 |
| Kennebec County | 11 | 333 |
| Aroostook County | 10 | 212 |
| Cumberland County | 10 | 210 |
| Androscoggin County | 9 | 197 |
| Penobscot County | 8 | 240 |
| Franklin County | 7 | 96 |
| Somerset County | 7 | 120 |
| Waldo County | 7 | 142 |
| Lincoln County | 5 | 57 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Maine
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Maine, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the Northeast
- Connecticut$354
- Massachusetts$440
- New Hampshire$295
- New Jersey$307
- New York$296
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island$293
- Vermont
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.