How much does daycare cost in Virginia?

The two figures answer different questions. The 2022 figure is the U.S. Department of Labor's price for the middle Virginia locality, and each of the 133 counties and independent cities counts the same, from the smallest to Fairfax. The 2026 figure is the middle rate among Virginia daycares that publish prices online, and nearly all of them are centers (96.6% of the 149 that post a rate).

Prices have also gone up since 2022. Posted infant rates run about $119 a week above the 2022 figure, toddler rates about $117 and preschool rates about $58. Use the 2022 figures to compare places within Virginia, and the posted rates as a guide to what centers ask today.

School-age care goes the other way: the posted rate ($125 a week) is below the 2022 figure ($142). Ask whether a school-age rate covers full summer days or only the hours before and after school.

Where you live in Virginia can change the price of infant care almost fivefold. In 2022, center infant care ran from $119 a week in Buchanan County, in the far southwest, to $559 a week in Arlington County. Northern Virginia is the high-price area: Fairfax County was $345 a week and Prince William County $312. Virginia Beach, the largest independent city, was $237.

Home daycares cost noticeably less for babies. The middle Virginia locality charged $158 a week for infant care in a home daycare in 2022, against $191 at a center; in Fairfax County the figures were $260 and $345.

Virginia's Child Care Subsidy Program, overseen by the Virginia Department of Education, helps families with lower incomes pay for care; families apply through their local department of social services. On DaycarePal, 2,729 Virginia daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the Virginia 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. For 3- and 4-year-olds, ask your school division about public pre-K and who qualifies.

A home daycare can save a good deal on infant care, and part-time schedules cost less as well. When you compare daycares, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.