Daycare cost · Maryland
How much does daycare cost in Maryland?
Full-time infant care at a Maryland daycare center cost a median of $254 a week in the latest federal county survey. Home daycares in the middle Maryland county charged $177 a week for infant care.
- a week, center infant care, county survey
- $254
- a week, center preschool, county survey
- $175
- Counties priced
- 24
By age
Daycare prices by age in Maryland
Weekly prices for full-time care. The county survey figures are the middle county in Maryland; the posted figures are the middle rate on Maryland daycare websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $254 | $177 | Too few to show |
| Toddler | $175 | $156 | Too few to show |
| Preschool | $175 | $156 | Too few to show |
| School ageOften before and after school only | $163 | $129 | Too few to show |
County survey: U.S. Department of Labor, 2022; Maryland figure = the median of 24 county medians. Fewer than 30 Maryland daycares post a usable full-time rate for any one age group, so this page does not give a posted figure for Maryland.
Reading the numbers
Where these figures come from
The prices on this page come from the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 county survey, built from Maryland's own survey of what providers charge. The state figure is the middle of 24 county prices, with Baltimore City counted as its own county, and every county counts the same.
There is no 2026 posted rate for Maryland yet: only 29 of the 231 Maryland daycare websites we read post a full-time rate, too few to show a middle price. Expect prices today to be higher than in 2022.
By county
Where daycare costs more in Maryland
Lowest county price
$209a week for center infant care in Dorchester County and 2 other countiesHighest county price
$414a week for center infant care in Montgomery County and 1 other countyMontgomery County
$414a week for center infant care; the most populous county in MarylandPrince George's County
$327a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousBaltimore County
$345a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousIn 2022, center infant care in Maryland ran from $209 a week in Dorchester, Somerset and Wicomico counties on the Eastern Shore to $414 a week in Montgomery and Howard counties. Prince George's County came in at $327 a week, Baltimore County at $345 and Baltimore City at $250.
Home daycares cost less. The middle Maryland county charged $177 a week for infant care in a home daycare, against $254 at a center, and in Montgomery County the figures were $288 and $414.
- A year of center infant care at the middle county price
- $13,208
- of the middle county household income ($87,513)
- 15%
- counties where it passed 20% of household income
- 4 of 24
Every county
Daycare prices in every Maryland 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.
Paying for care
Ways to lower the cost
The Maryland State Department of Education runs the Child Care Scholarship Program, which helps eligible families pay for child care while they work or go to school. Ask each daycare whether it accepts the scholarship, or see the Maryland daycares listed as accepting child care assistance.
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify, mostly by income, and serve children from birth to age 5. Maryland school districts also offer pre-K; ask yours who can enroll.
Home daycares cost less than centers in every Maryland county in the 2022 survey, and part-time schedules can lower the bill too. Ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and what you pay when your child is away.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in Maryland
How much is daycare per month in Maryland?
About $1,101 a month for full-time infant care at a center, at the 2022 middle-county price of $254 a week. Infant care in a home daycare cost about $767 a month at the 2022 price of $177 a week.
How much does infant care cost a year in Maryland?
About $13,208 a year at the 2022 middle-county price for center infant care, or 15% of the middle Maryland county's household income ($87,513). In 4 of the 24 counties, it took more than 20% of household income.
Does home daycare cost less than a daycare center in Maryland?
Yes. In the 2022 county survey, the middle Maryland county charged $177 a week for infant care in a home daycare and $254 at a center; for preschoolers the figures were $156 and $175.
Which Maryland county has the highest daycare prices?
In the 2022 survey, Montgomery and Howard counties had the highest center infant price, at $414 a week, and Dorchester, Somerset and Wicomico counties the lowest, at $209. The table on this page lists every county.
Why is there no 2026 price for Maryland?
Only 29 of the 231 Maryland daycare websites we read post a full-time rate, too few to give a reliable middle price. Ask each daycare for its current weekly rate and what it includes.
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 Maryland daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in Maryland for each daycare's own listing.