State cost data
California
Quick answer
How much does daycare cost in California?
Full-time center-based infant care in California runs $22,628 a year on Child Care Aware of America's 2024 survey, about 22.6% of the state's median household income. Family child care (a licensed home-based provider) runs $19,022 a year for an infant, typically less than a center.
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Center-based, infant | $22,628 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Center-based, toddler | not published | |
| Center-based, 4-year-old | $16,665 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Center-based, before/after school | $10,627 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Center-based, full-time summer | $3,542 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Family child care (FCC), infant | $19,022 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Family child care (FCC), toddler | not published | |
| Family child care (FCC), 4-year-old | $16,763 | Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025) |
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income (2024) | $100,149 | U.S. Census Bureau, "Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024," American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (ACSBR-025, published September 2025) |
Source: Child Care Aware of America, "Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply, Affordability Analysis" (survey fielded January 2025, published May 2025). Checked 2026-08-28. See the full methodology and the cross-state statistics page.
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