How much does daycare cost in Ohio?

The figures on this page come from the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 county survey, built from Ohio's own survey of what providers charge. The Ohio figure is the middle of the 88 county prices, with every county counting the same.

We do not give a 2026 posted rate for Ohio: too few of the Ohio daycare websites we read post a full-time rate for any one age group. Expect today's prices to run above the 2022 figures.

Ohio's 2022 county prices fall into three levels: $174, $222 or $295 a week for center infant care. Adams County is at the low level, and the big metro counties, including Franklin (Columbus), Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Hamilton (Cincinnati), are at the high level along with Warren County.

Home daycares cost less. The middle Ohio county charged $170 a week for home infant care in 2022, against $222 at a center, and in Franklin, Cuyahoga and Hamilton counties home infant care was $200 against $295.

Ohio's Publicly Funded Child Care program, run by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, helps parents who are working or in school pay for care; your County Department of Job and Family Services decides who qualifies. On DaycarePal, 15 Ohio daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance so far: see them. Many more may take it, so ask.

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 whether it offers free or low-cost preschool.

Home daycares and part-time schedules can cost less than full-time care at a center. When you compare daycares, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.