Daycare cost · Alaska
How much does daycare cost in Alaska?
Full-time infant care at an Alaska daycare center cost a median of $296 a week in the latest federal county survey. Prices ran from $155 a week in the Kenai Peninsula Borough to $469 in Sitka.
- a week, center infant care, county survey
- $296
- a week, center preschool, county survey
- $250
- Counties priced
- 8
By age
Daycare prices by age in Alaska
Weekly prices for full-time care. The county survey figures are the middle county in Alaska; the posted figures are the middle rate on Alaska daycare websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $296 | $251 | Too few to show |
| Toddler | $255 | $235 | Too few to show |
| Preschool | $250 | $225 | Too few to show |
| School ageOften before and after school only | $162 | $181 | Too few to show |
County survey: U.S. Department of Labor, 2022; Alaska figure = the median of 8 county medians. Fewer than 30 Alaska daycares post a usable full-time rate for any one age group, so this page does not give a posted figure for Alaska.
Reading the numbers
Where these figures come from
The 2022 prices come from the U.S. Department of Labor's county survey, built from Alaska's own surveys of what providers charge. The survey has a price for 8 of Alaska's 30 boroughs and census areas, and each counts the same, so the state figure is the middle of those 8.
We read 61 Alaska daycare websites, but too few post a full-time weekly rate for any one age to give a 2026 figure. Ask each daycare for its current rate.
By county
Where daycare costs more in Alaska
Lowest county price
$155a week for center infant care in Kenai Peninsula BoroughHighest county price
$469a week for center infant care in Sitka City and BoroughAnchorage Municipality
$362a week for center infant care; the most populous county in AlaskaMatanuska-Susitna Borough
$249a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousFairbanks North Star Borough
$395a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousWhere you live in Alaska changes the price a lot. In 2022, center infant care cost $362 a week in the Municipality of Anchorage, the most populous, $249 in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, around Wasilla and Palmer, and $395 in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Sitka was highest at $469, and Juneau came in at $227.
Home daycares cost less in the middle borough: $251 a week for infant care, against $296 at a center. In Anchorage the gap was wider, $260 a week at a home daycare against $362 at a center.
- A year of center infant care at the middle county price
- $15,392
- of the middle county household income ($88,786)
- 17%
- counties where it passed 20% of household income
- 2 of 8
Every county
Daycare prices in every Alaska county
Weekly county survey prices for full-time care, A to Z. Select a column heading to sort by it. The towns are where most of each county's daycares on DaycarePal are.
| Towns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $362 | $290 | $260 | AnchorageEagle River |
| Fairbanks North Star | $395 | $265 | $316 | FairbanksNorth Pole |
| Juneau | $227 | $252 | $132 | Juneau |
| Kenai Peninsula | $155 | $194 | $251 | KenaiHomerSoldotna |
| Ketchikan Gateway | $312 | $248 | $141 | Ketchikan |
| Kodiak Island | $281 | $234 | $272 | Kodiak |
| Matanuska-Susitna | $249 | $231 | $216 | WasillaPalmer |
| Sitka | $469 | $360 | No figure | Sitka |
Paying for care
Ways to lower the cost
Alaska's Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Department of Health's Child Care Program Office, helps working families and parents in school or training pay for care. On DaycarePal, 334 Alaska daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see which ones.
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify, mostly by income, and serve children from birth to age 5.
Home daycares and part-time schedules can also cost less. Ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and what you pay during your own travel weeks.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in Alaska
How much is daycare per month in Alaska?
About $1,283 a month for full-time infant care at a center, at the 2022 middle-borough price of $296 a week. A home daycare came to about $1,088 a month, and center preschool to about $1,083.
How much does infant care cost a year in Alaska?
About $15,392 a year at the 2022 middle-borough price for center infant care, or 17% of the middle household income ($88,786). In 2 of the 8 boroughs with a price, it took more than 20% of household income.
How much does daycare cost in Anchorage?
In 2022, center infant care cost $362 a week in the Municipality of Anchorage. Ask each daycare for its current rate.
Does home daycare cost less than a center in Alaska?
Usually. In the 2022 survey, the middle borough charged $251 a week for infant care at a home daycare and $296 at a center; for preschoolers it was $225 against $250.
Why are some Alaska boroughs missing?
The 2022 survey has a price for 8 of Alaska's 30 boroughs and census areas. For the others, ask nearby daycares for their rates.
We are a directory, not the daycare. Each daycare sets its own prices; ask for the current rate for your child's age and schedule.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices (2022 county prices and household incomes); rates posted on Alaska daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in Alaska for each daycare's own listing.