Daycare cost · New Hampshire
How much does daycare cost in New Hampshire?
Full-time infant care at a New Hampshire daycare center cost a median of $286 a week in the latest federal county survey. A home daycare in the middle county charged $197 a week for the same care.
- a week, center infant care, county survey
- $286
- a week, center preschool, county survey
- $238
- Counties priced
- 10
By age
Daycare prices by age in New Hampshire
Weekly prices for full-time care. The county survey figures are the middle county in New Hampshire; the posted figures are the middle rate on New Hampshire daycare websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $286 | $197 | Too few to show |
| Toddler | $272 | $184 | Too few to show |
| Preschool | $238 | $184 | Too few to show |
| School ageOften before and after school only | $213 | No figure | Too few to show |
County survey: U.S. Department of Labor, 2022; New Hampshire figure = the median of 10 county medians. Fewer than 30 New Hampshire daycares post a usable full-time rate for any one age group, so this page does not give a posted figure for New Hampshire.
Reading the numbers
Where these figures come from
The prices here come from the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 county survey, built from New Hampshire's own surveys of what providers charge. The median is the middle of the state's 10 counties, each counted the same.
We read 245 New Hampshire daycare websites, and 31 post a full-time rate, but no single age group has enough of them for a fair 2026 figure. Prices may have risen since 2022, so ask each daycare for its current rate.
By county
Where daycare costs more in New Hampshire
Lowest county price
$269a week for center infant care in Coos CountyHighest county price
$308a week for center infant care in Rockingham CountyHillsborough County
$300a week for center infant care; the most populous county in New HampshireRockingham County
$308a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousMerrimack County
$287a week for center infant care; one of the 3 most populousCounty makes less difference in New Hampshire than the type of care does. In 2022, center infant care ran from $269 a week in Coos County to $308 a week in Rockingham County. Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua, was $300 a week, and Merrimack County, which includes Concord, $287.
Home daycares cost far less for babies: $197 a week in the middle county against $286 at a center. DaycarePal lists only 11 home daycares in New Hampshire, so most families here will be choosing among centers.
- A year of center infant care at the middle county price
- $14,872
- of the middle county household income ($80,334)
- 19%
- counties where it passed 20% of household income
- 2 of 10
Every county
Daycare prices in every New Hampshire 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap | $288 | $239 | $198 | LaconiaGilfordMeredith |
| Carroll | $276 | $229 | $190 | Conway |
| Cheshire | $285 | $237 | $196 | KeeneJaffrey |
| Coos | $269 | $224 | $186 | None listed |
| Grafton | $284 | $236 | $196 | HanoverLebanonPlymouth |
| Hillsborough | $300 | $249 | $206 | ManchesterNashuaBedford |
| Merrimack | $287 | $239 | $198 | ConcordBowHooksett |
| Rockingham | $308 | $256 | $212 | SalemLondonderryDerry |
| Strafford | $290 | $241 | $200 | DoverBarringtonRochester |
| Sullivan | $286 | $238 | $197 | NewportClaremont |
Paying for care
Ways to lower the cost
New Hampshire helps working families with lower incomes pay for care through the NH Child Care Scholarship Program, run by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. On DaycarePal, 26 New Hampshire daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the New Hampshire 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. You can find a Head Start program near your address.
Part-time schedules can also lower the bill. When you compare centers, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in New Hampshire
How much is daycare per month in New Hampshire?
About $1,239 a month for full-time infant care at a center, at the 2022 middle-county price of $286 a week. Center preschool care ran about $1,031 a month, and infant care at a home daycare about $854.
How much does infant care cost a year in New Hampshire?
About $14,872 a year at the 2022 middle-county price for center infant care, or 19% of the middle county's household income ($80,334). In 2 of the 10 counties, center infant care took more than a fifth of household income.
Does home daycare cost less than a center in New Hampshire?
Yes. In 2022 the middle county charged $197 a week for infant care at a home daycare and $286 at a center; for preschoolers the figures were $184 and $238.
Which New Hampshire county has the highest daycare prices?
In the 2022 survey, Rockingham County had the highest center infant price, $308 a week, and Coos County the lowest, $269. The table on this page lists all 10 counties.
Can I get help paying for daycare in New Hampshire?
Yes, 26 New Hampshire daycares on DaycarePal are listed as accepting child care assistance. The NH Child Care Scholarship Program, run by the state Department of Health and Human Services, helps working families with lower incomes.
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 New Hampshire daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in New Hampshire for each daycare's own listing.