Daycare cost · Pennsylvania
How much does daycare cost in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania daycares that post an infant rate on their websites charge a median of $343 a week, across 58 daycares. Preschool runs a median of $288 a week, so expect less as your child gets older.
- a week, infant rate posted by daycares
- $343
- a week, preschool rate posted by daycares
- $288
By age
Daycare prices by age in Pennsylvania
Weekly prices for full-time care, from the rates Pennsylvania daycares post on their websites.
| Age | Center, county survey | Home daycare, county survey | Posted by daycares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | Not in survey | Not in survey | $343Middle half $305 to $414 · 58 daycares |
| Toddler | Not in survey | Not in survey | $326Middle half $285 to $391 · 65 daycares |
| Preschool | Not in survey | Not in survey | $288Middle half $258 to $351 · 72 daycares |
| School ageOften before and after school only | Not in survey | Not in survey | $197Middle half $130 to $300 · 33 daycares |
Posted: one full-time rate per daycare, read in 2026, from 98 Pennsylvania daycare websites (92.9% 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
Where these figures come from
The federal county survey that prices daycare in most states has no 2022 figures for Pennsylvania, so this page uses the rates Pennsylvania daycares post on their websites. Each daycare counts once, with its full-time rate for each age; half-day, part-week and school-year prices are left out.
These rates come from 98 daycares, and 92.9% of them are centers, so they describe what a center with a website asks more than what a home daycare charges. Treat them as a starting point and ask each daycare for its own rate, fees and what the price includes.
Paying for care
Ways to lower the cost
Child Care Works is Pennsylvania's subsidized child care program for families with lower incomes, managed by the Early Learning Resource Center in your county. On DaycarePal, 5,759 Pennsylvania daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the 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. Ask your school district and the Early Learning Resource Center about free pre-K options for 3- and 4-year-olds.
A home daycare or a part-time schedule 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.
Questions
Questions about daycare cost in Pennsylvania
How much is daycare per month in Pennsylvania?
About $1,486 a month for full-time infant care at the rates Pennsylvania daycares post in 2026. Toddler care runs about $1,413 a month, preschool about $1,248 and school-age care about $854.
How much does infant care cost a year in Pennsylvania?
About $17,836 a year at the median posted infant rate of $343 a week. The middle half of posted infant rates runs from $305 to $414 a week.
Why is there no 2022 county price for Pennsylvania?
The U.S. Department of Labor's county survey has no 2022 figures for Pennsylvania. This page uses the 2026 rates Pennsylvania daycares post on their websites instead.
What does school-age care cost in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania daycares that post a school-age rate charge a median of $197 a week in 2026. Ask whether that covers full summer days or only the hours before and after school.
How can I pay less for daycare in Pennsylvania?
Families with lower incomes can apply for Child Care Works through their county's Early Learning Resource Center. Head Start is free for families who qualify, and home daycares or part-time schedules can cost less.
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 Pennsylvania daycare websites, read in 2026. See daycares in Pennsylvania for each daycare's own listing.