U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in Minnesota
Full-time care for an infant at a Minnesota child care center had a median price of $323 a week in 2022, about $1,400 a month. That is $63 above the U.S. median of $260, and No. 9 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $323a week, infant at a center
- $290a week, toddler at a center
- $261a week, preschooler at a center
- $179a week, infant at a home daycare
Minnesota prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $323 | $1,400 | $179 | $777 |
| Toddler | $290 | $1,257 | $160 | $691 |
| Preschool | $261 | $1,130 | $162 | $702 |
| School-age | $206 | $892 | $151 | $653 |
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 Minnesota 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 87 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anoka County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $165 |
| Blue Earth County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Carver County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Crow Wing County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Dakota County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Hennepin County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Olmsted County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $177 |
| Ramsey County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Rice County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 |
| Scott County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Sherburne County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 |
| St. Louis County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 |
| Stearns County | $431 | $382 | $337 | $249 | $143 |
| Washington County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Wright County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 |
All 87 Minnesota counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $177 |
| Anoka County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $165 |
| Becker County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Beltrami County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $143 |
| Benton County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 |
| Big Stone County | $178 | $163 | $152 | $120 | $143 |
| Blue Earth County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Brown County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 |
| Carlton County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 |
| Carver County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Cass County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 |
| Chippewa County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Chisago County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 |
| Clay County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 |
| Clearwater County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Cook County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $205 |
| Cottonwood County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 |
| Crow Wing County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Dakota County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Dodge County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $137 |
| Douglas County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Faribault County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $148 |
| Fillmore County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 |
| Freeborn County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 |
| Goodhue County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 |
| Grant County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 |
| Hennepin County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Houston County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Hubbard County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 |
| Isanti County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 |
| Itasca County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $177 |
| Jackson County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Kanabec County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Kandiyohi County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Kittson County | $167 | $152 | $139 | $108 | $128 |
| Koochiching County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $128 |
| Lac qui Parle County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 |
| Lake County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 |
| Lake of the Woods County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $188 |
| Le Sueur County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 |
| Lincoln County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Lyon County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Mahnomen County | $178 | $163 | $152 | $120 | $143 |
| Marshall County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Martin County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $128 |
| McLeod County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Meeker County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 |
| Mille Lacs County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 |
| Morrison County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 |
| Mower County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Murray County | $167 | $152 | $139 | $108 | $128 |
| Nicollet County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Nobles County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Norman County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $128 |
| Olmsted County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $177 |
| Otter Tail County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Pennington County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Pine County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Pipestone County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Polk County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 |
| Pope County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $148 |
| Ramsey County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Red Lake County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Redwood County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 |
| Renville County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Rice County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 |
| Rock County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Roseau County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $128 |
| Scott County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Sherburne County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 |
| Sibley County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 |
| St. Louis County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 |
| Stearns County | $431 | $382 | $337 | $249 | $143 |
| Steele County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $123 |
| Stevens County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $148 |
| Swift County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Todd County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 |
| Traverse County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 |
| Wabasha County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Wadena County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Waseca County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 |
| Washington County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 |
| Watonwan County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Wilkin County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 |
| Winona County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 |
| Wright County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 |
| Yellow Medicine County | $199 | $191 | $177 | $163 | $128 |
Head Start in Minnesota
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 350 Minnesota centers are on the federal list, with 9,879 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Ramsey County | 24 | 1,133 |
| Hennepin County | 23 | 1,613 |
| St. Louis County | 23 | 463 |
| Olmsted County | 12 | 408 |
| Becker County | 11 | 208 |
| Wright County | 11 | 225 |
| Dakota County | 9 | 104 |
| Carlton County | 8 | 240 |
| Anoka County | 7 | 470 |
| Mille Lacs County | 7 | 146 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for Minnesota
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In Minnesota, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the Midwest
- Illinois$283
- Indiana
- Iowa$166
- Kansas$157
- Michigan$166
- 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.