Daycare cost · Connecticut
How much does daycare cost in Connecticut?
Full-time infant care at a Connecticut daycare center cost a median of $320 a week in the latest federal county survey. The 30 Connecticut daycares that post a preschool rate on their websites charge a median of $317 a week.
- a week, center infant care, county survey
- $320
- a week, center preschool, county survey
- $252
- a week, preschool rate posted by daycares
- $317
- Counties priced
- 8
By age
Daycare prices by age in Connecticut
Weekly prices for full-time care. The county survey figures are the middle county in Connecticut; the posted figures are the middle rate on Connecticut daycare websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $320 | $245 | Too few to show |
| Toddler | $320 | $238 | Too few to show |
| Preschool | $252 | $238 | $317Middle half $280 to $402 · 30 daycares |
| School ageOften before and after school only | $120 | $130 | Too few to show |
County survey: U.S. Department of Labor, 2022; Connecticut figure = the median of 8 county medians. Posted: one full-time rate per daycare, read in 2026, from 36 Connecticut daycare websites (80.6% of them centers); half-day, part-week and school-year rates left out; shown only where at least 30 daycares post a rate for that age.
Reading the numbers
Why the two figures differ
The two figures come from different places. The 2022 prices are the U.S. Department of Labor's figures for Connecticut's eight counties, with the state figure set by the middle county. The 2026 figure is the middle preschool rate among daycares that post prices online; most of them are centers (80.6% of the 36 that post a rate), and the rest are home daycares.
Posted preschool rates run about $65 a week above the 2022 county price for center preschool care ($252), which reflects four years of price rises and the kind of daycare that posts its rates. Too few Connecticut daycare websites list a full-time infant or toddler rate to give a 2026 figure for those ages, so use the 2022 prices and ask each daycare.
By county
Where daycare costs more in Connecticut
Lowest county price
$290a week for center infant care in New London County and 2 other countiesHighest county price
$425a week for center infant care in Fairfield CountyFairfield County
$425a week for center infant care; the most populous county in ConnecticutHartford County
$330a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousNew Haven County
$350a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousIn 2022, center infant care ran from $290 a week in New London, Tolland and Windham counties in the east to $425 a week in Fairfield County, which includes Stamford and Bridgeport. The other two most populous counties sat in between: $330 a week in Hartford County and $350 in New Haven County.
Home daycares charged less for babies and toddlers. The middle Connecticut county charged $245 a week for infant care in a home daycare against $320 at a center; in Fairfield County it was $300 at a home and $425 at a center.
- A year of center infant care at the middle county price
- $16,640
- of the middle county household income ($87,149)
- 19%
- counties where it passed 20% of household income
- 4 of 8
Every county
Daycare prices in every Connecticut 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | $425 | $306 | $300 | BridgeportStamfordDanbury |
| Hartford | $330 | $250 | $240 | HartfordNew BritainBristol |
| Litchfield | $310 | $255 | $260 | TorringtonNew MilfordWatertown |
| Middlesex | $350 | $285 | $250 | MiddletownEast HamptonPortland |
| New Haven | $350 | $285 | $250 | WaterburyNew HavenWest Haven |
| New London | $290 | $235 | $200 | New LondonColchesterGroton |
| Tolland | $290 | $235 | $200 | TollandEllingtonVernon Rockville |
| Windham | $290 | $235 | $200 | WillimanticPutnamDayville |
Paying for care
Ways to lower the cost
Care 4 Kids, the Office of Early Childhood's child care subsidy, helps families with low to moderate incomes pay for care while they work or train. On DaycarePal, 95 Connecticut daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the Connecticut daycares that accept it.
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify, mostly by income, and serve children from birth to age 5. The Office of Early Childhood also funds spaces at some programs through Early Start CT, a state program that lowers the cost for families; ask a daycare whether it has these spaces.
Home daycares, which make up many Connecticut listings, often cost less, and part-time schedules can help too. Ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in Connecticut
How much is daycare per month in Connecticut?
About $1,387 a month for full-time infant or toddler care at a center, at the 2022 middle-county price of $320 a week. At the rates Connecticut daycares post in 2026, preschool runs about $1,374 a month.
How much does infant care cost a year in Connecticut?
About $16,640 a year at the 2022 middle-county price for center infant care, or 19% of the middle Connecticut county's household income ($87,149). In 4 of the 8 counties, center infant care took more than 20% of household income.
Which Connecticut county has the highest daycare prices?
Fairfield County, at $425 a week for center infant care in 2022. New London, Tolland and Windham counties had the lowest center infant price, at $290 a week, and the table on this page lists all eight counties.
Does home daycare cost less than a center in Connecticut?
For babies, yes. In the 2022 survey, the middle Connecticut county charged $245 a week for infant care in a home daycare and $320 at a center; for preschoolers the gap was small, $238 against $252.
Why is there no posted infant price for Connecticut?
Only 14 of the Connecticut daycare websites we read post a full-time infant rate, too few for a fair figure. Use the 2022 county price and ask each daycare for its current infant rate.
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 Connecticut daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in Connecticut for each daycare's own listing.