Daycare cost · Minnesota
How much does daycare cost in Minnesota?
Full-time infant care at a Minnesota daycare center had a median price of $211 a week in the latest federal county survey. The 69 Minnesota daycares that post an infant rate online charge a median of $410 a week.
- a week, center infant care, county survey
- $211
- a week, center preschool, county survey
- $182
- a week, infant rate posted by daycares
- $410
- a week, preschool rate posted by daycares
- $290
By age
Daycare prices by age in Minnesota
Weekly prices for full-time care. The county survey figures are the middle county in Minnesota; the posted figures are the middle rate on Minnesota daycare websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $211 | $143 | $410Middle half $340 to $444 · 69 daycares |
| Toddler | $197 | $132 | $362Middle half $310 to $430 · 70 daycares |
| Preschool | $182 | $132 | $290Middle half $177 to $350 · 96 daycares |
| School ageOften before and after school only | $163 | $127 | $110Middle half $78 to $190 · 33 daycares |
County survey: U.S. Department of Labor, 2022; Minnesota figure = the median of 87 county medians. Posted: one full-time rate per daycare, read in 2026, from 119 Minnesota daycare websites (100% 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 gap is large because the two figures measure different things. The 2022 number is the U.S. Department of Labor's price for the middle Minnesota county, built from state surveys, and each of the 87 counties counts once, so the many rural counties weigh as much as Hennepin. The 2026 number is the middle rate among Minnesota daycares that publish prices, and all 119 of them are centers.
Prices have also climbed since 2022. Posted infant rates run about $199 a week above the 2022 county price, toddler rates about $165 above it and preschool rates about $108 above it.
School-age care goes the other way: the posted rate ($110 a week) is below the 2022 figure ($163). A posted school-age rate may cover only the hours before and after school, so ask what the rate includes on school breaks and in summer.
By county
Where daycare costs more in Minnesota
Lowest county price
$167a week for center infant care in Kittson County and 1 other countyHighest county price
$431a week for center infant care in Stearns CountyHennepin County
$390a week for center infant care; the most populous county in MinnesotaRamsey County
$390a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousDakota County
$390a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousCounty makes a big difference in Minnesota. In 2022, center infant care cost $167 a week in Kittson County and $431 a week in Stearns County, which includes St. Cloud. Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Ramsey County (St. Paul) and Dakota County each came in at $390 a week.
Home daycares cost much less. The middle Minnesota county charged $143 a week for infant care in a family home daycare, against $211 at a center, and Minnesota has many licensed home daycares to choose from.
- A year of center infant care at the middle county price
- $10,972
- of the middle county household income ($69,396)
- 16%
- counties where it passed 20% of household income
- 9 of 87
Every county
Daycare prices in every Minnesota 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
Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program, overseen by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and run through county offices, helps families with lower incomes pay for care while they work or go to school. On DaycarePal, 181 Minnesota 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. Ask your school district about free or low-cost pre-K for 4-year-olds.
A licensed home daycare is often the lowest-priced full-time option in Minnesota, and part-time schedules can also cut the bill. Ask each provider about registration fees, sibling discounts and holiday charges.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in Minnesota
How much is daycare per month in Minnesota?
About $914 a month for full-time center infant care at the 2022 middle-county price of $211 a week. At the rates Minnesota daycares post in 2026, infant care runs about $1,777 a month and preschool about $1,257.
How much does a year of infant care cost in Minnesota?
About $10,972 a year at the 2022 middle-county center price, or 16% of the middle Minnesota county's household income ($69,396). In 9 of the 87 counties, center infant care took more than 20% of household income.
Does home daycare cost less than a center in Minnesota?
Yes, by a wide margin. In the 2022 survey, the middle Minnesota county charged $143 a week for infant care in a home daycare and $211 at a center; for preschoolers it was $132 and $182.
What does daycare cost in Hennepin County?
In the 2022 survey, $390 a week for center infant care and $205 a week in a home daycare. Ramsey and Dakota counties had the same prices.
Why do Minnesota daycare websites show higher prices than the survey?
The 2022 survey counts every county the same, while the 2026 posted rates come from centers with websites after four years of rising prices. Use the survey to compare counties and the posted rates for what centers ask now.
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 Minnesota daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in Minnesota for each daycare's own listing.