U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Massachusetts
Full-time care for an infant at a Massachusetts child care center had a median price of $440 a week in 2022, about $1,907 a month. That is $180 above the U.S. median of $260, and No. 2 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $440a week, infant at a center
- $392a week, toddler at a center
- $306a week, preschooler at a center
- $272a week, infant at a home daycare
Massachusetts prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $440 | $1,907 | $272 | $1,180 |
| Toddler | $392 | $1,700 | $250 | $1,083 |
| Preschool | $306 | $1,324 | $232 | $1,006 |
| School-age | $209 | $905 | $234 | $1,012 |
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 Massachusetts county
Weekly medians for full-time care in the 14 most populous counties. Center prices first, then the infant price at a home. Open "All 14 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Berkshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Bristol County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Dukes County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Essex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $215 | $250 |
| Franklin County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Hampden County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Hampshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Middlesex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $215 | $250 |
| Nantucket County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Norfolk County | $555 | $520 | $420 | $175 | $370 |
| Plymouth County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Suffolk County | $590 | $493 | $350 | $224 | $320 |
| Worcester County | $390 | $350 | $285 | $210 | $250 |
All 14 Massachusetts counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Berkshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Bristol County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Dukes County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Essex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $215 | $250 |
| Franklin County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Hampden County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Hampshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $203 | $225 |
| Middlesex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $215 | $250 |
| Nantucket County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Norfolk County | $555 | $520 | $420 | $175 | $370 |
| Plymouth County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $210 | $275 |
| Suffolk County | $590 | $493 | $350 | $224 | $320 |
| Worcester County | $390 | $350 | $285 | $210 | $250 |
Head Start in Massachusetts
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 196 Massachusetts centers are on the federal list, with 9,449 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County | 40 | 2,072 |
| Middlesex County | 29 | 1,479 |
| Bristol County | 26 | 1,108 |
| Essex County | 23 | 1,324 |
| Hampden County | 21 | 683 |
| Worcester County | 16 | 970 |
| Barnstable County | 11 | 106 |
| Plymouth County | 10 | 921 |
| Hampshire County | 6 | 174 |
| Berkshire County | 4 | 200 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Massachusetts
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Massachusetts, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the Northeast
- Connecticut$354
- Maine$234
- 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.