# Child care cost in Minnesota

Source: https://backpr.com/resources/child-care-cost/minnesota. Last updated: 2026-11-08.

Infant care in a Minnesota child care center costs $211 a week in a typical county, about $10,972 a year, or 12.2% of the county's median family income. Below is the median weekly price in every county the Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices covers (2022 data), for four age groups in centers and in family child care homes. A typical county is the middle one when counties are ranked by price.

- $211 a week: Infant care in a center, in a typical county (about $10,972 a year)
- $182 a week: Preschool in a center, in a typical county
- 12.2%: Infant center care as a share of the county's median family income, in a typical county
- $143 a week: Infant care in a family child care home, in a typical county

## Every county: median weekly price
| County | Infants, center | Toddlers, center | Preschool, center | School age, center | Infants, family home | Toddlers, family home | Preschool, family home | School age, family home | Infant center, % of median family income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 12.5% |
| Anoka County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $165 | $142 | $145 | $137 | 18.3% |
| Becker County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.7% |
| Beltrami County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 16.4% |
| Benton County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 14.2% |
| Big Stone County | $178 | $163 | $152 | $120 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.3% |
| Blue Earth County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.1% |
| Brown County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 10.4% |
| Carlton County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 12.1% |
| Carver County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 14.3% |
| Cass County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.9% |
| Chippewa County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 11.1% |
| Chisago County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 10.8% |
| Clay County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 10.6% |
| Clearwater County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 14.4% |
| Cook County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 14.1% |
| Cottonwood County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.0% |
| Crow Wing County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 13.2% |
| Dakota County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 16.3% |
| Dodge County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $137 | $123 | $127 | $123 | 10.1% |
| Douglas County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.0% |
| Faribault County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $148 | $137 | $137 | $133 | 10.7% |
| Fillmore County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 | $123 | $127 | $123 | 10.1% |
| Freeborn County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 13.5% |
| Goodhue County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 12.8% |
| Grant County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 13.4% |
| Hennepin County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 16.0% |
| Houston County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.9% |
| Hubbard County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 16.0% |
| Isanti County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 13.0% |
| Itasca County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 13.8% |
| Jackson County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 10.7% |
| Kanabec County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 13.9% |
| Kandiyohi County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.3% |
| Kittson County | $167 | $152 | $139 | $108 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 9.5% |
| Koochiching County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 14.8% |
| Lac qui Parle County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 10.8% |
| Lake County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 14.2% |
| Lake of the Woods County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $188 | $163 | $163 | $153 | 17.2% |
| Le Sueur County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 | $123 | $127 | $123 | 8.8% |
| Lincoln County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 14.3% |
| Lyon County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 13.5% |
| Mahnomen County | $178 | $163 | $152 | $120 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 14.6% |
| Marshall County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 12.3% |
| Martin County | $255 | $228 | $214 | $171 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 16.0% |
| McLeod County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.4% |
| Meeker County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 11.8% |
| Mille Lacs County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 15.7% |
| Morrison County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 11.1% |
| Mower County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.6% |
| Murray County | $167 | $152 | $139 | $108 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 9.4% |
| Nicollet County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.0% |
| Nobles County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 15.0% |
| Norman County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 12.4% |
| Olmsted County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 17.7% |
| Otter Tail County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 13.0% |
| Pennington County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.4% |
| Pine County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 13.8% |
| Pipestone County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 11.4% |
| Polk County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 12.5% |
| Pope County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $148 | $137 | $137 | $133 | 11.6% |
| Ramsey County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 19.6% |
| Red Lake County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 9.7% |
| Redwood County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.0% |
| Renville County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 10.6% |
| Rice County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 13.0% |
| Rock County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 9.6% |
| Roseau County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 12.9% |
| Scott County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 15.1% |
| Sherburne County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 10.6% |
| Sibley County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $137 | $123 | $127 | $123 | 9.9% |
| St. Louis County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 12.2% |
| Stearns County | $431 | $382 | $337 | $249 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 24.6% |
| Steele County | $235 | $213 | $201 | $169 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 11.9% |
| Stevens County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $148 | $137 | $137 | $133 | 9.6% |
| Swift County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 12.0% |
| Todd County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $123 | $125 | $125 | $113 | 11.9% |
| Traverse County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 10.2% |
| Wabasha County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.8% |
| Wadena County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 12.1% |
| Waseca County | $219 | $206 | $190 | $164 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 12.7% |
| Washington County | $390 | $348 | $309 | $237 | $205 | $182 | $185 | $170 | 15.3% |
| Watonwan County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 10.8% |
| Wilkin County | $175 | $161 | $147 | $109 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 10.3% |
| Winona County | $211 | $197 | $182 | $163 | $143 | $132 | $132 | $127 | 11.9% |
| Wright County | $247 | $218 | $206 | $170 | $177 | $150 | $153 | $143 | 10.9% |
| Yellow Medicine County | $199 | $191 | $177 | $163 | $128 | $130 | $130 | $120 | 12.0% |

## Help paying and finding care
- Child care resources for Minnesota (ChildCare.gov): https://www.childcare.gov/state-resources/minnesota
- Licensed programs: https://backpr.com/find/minnesota
- State rules: https://backpr.com/resources/states/minnesota

## Notes
- Prices come from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). The Women's Bureau built it from state market rate surveys of regulated providers, with a contractor standardizing every price to a full-time weekly rate. Most states are shown for 2022, the newest year in the database; where a state has no 2022 prices, we show its latest year and say so.
- Prices are not adjusted for inflation: each is in the dollars of its study year. A state shown for 2020 or 2021 can't be compared dollar for dollar with one shown for 2022.
- The Women's Bureau estimated some values: prices for years between state surveys were filled in with a straight-line trend, prices stated per hour, day or month were converted to weekly, and some counties carry a statewide or regional price, so many neighboring counties show exactly the same figure. The Women's Bureau's technical report (September 2024) lists the adjustments state by state, and it advises using the data at the county level.
- Age groups are approximate: infants are about 0 to 23 months, toddlers 24 to 35 months and preschool 36 to 54 months, plus the school-age price each state reports. States define the groups differently.
- Center means a child care facility with classrooms. Family child care home means a regulated provider who cares for a small group of children in their own home. Prices are meant as full-time weekly rates for one child, and what a family pays can differ with the provider, the hours and any subsidy. School-age prices in some states reflect before- and after-school care, so they may not match a full-time rate.
- Cost as a share of income is our calculation: the weekly price times 52 weeks, divided by the county's yearly median family income from the American Community Survey for the same year. The income is for all families in the county, not only those with young children, and families with lower incomes pay a larger share.
- A state's typical county is the middle one when you rank its counties by median price, with every county counted equally. It is not a statewide average and does not weight counties by their number of children. Where only a few counties have a price, the figure says little about the whole state.
- The federal government has long used 7% of family income as its benchmark for affordable child care. Each state page says how many of its counties are above it. This is a comparison, not advice or an eligibility rule.
- Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP), county-level file 2008-2022, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/topics/childcare. Checked 2026-11-08.

## Common questions
### How much does child care cost in Minnesota?
In 2022, infant care in a child care center had a median price of $211 a week in a typical Minnesota county, about $10,972 a year. County medians run from $167 to $431 a week. Preschool in a center is $182 a week in a typical county. Infant care in a family child care home is $143.

### Which Minnesota county has the most expensive infant care?
Stearns County has the highest median price for infant care in a center, $431 a week, or 24.6% of its median family income. Kittson County has the lowest, $167 a week, a price shared by 1 other county.

### What share of income does child care take in Minnesota?
For infant care in a center, the typical Minnesota county's price equals 12.2% of median family income. In 87 of 87 counties it is more than 7%, the benchmark the federal government has used for affordable child care. Families with lower incomes than the county median pay a larger share. This is a comparison, not advice.

### Is there help paying for child care in Minnesota?
Every state has a child care assistance program for eligible families, funded in part through the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Whether you qualify depends on income and other rules the state sets. ChildCare.gov lists Minnesota's program and how to apply.