How much does daycare cost in Wisconsin?

These two numbers come from different places. The 2022 figure is the U.S. Department of Labor's price for the middle Wisconsin county, drawn from state surveys of providers, and each of the 72 counties counts the same, rural or urban. The 2026 figure is the middle rate among Wisconsin daycares that list prices online, and nearly all of them are centers (97.4% of the 77 that post a rate).

Four years of price increases sit between the two as well. Posted infant rates run about $140 a week above the 2022 county price, toddler rates about $115 above it and preschool rates about $75 above it. The 2022 figures are the fairer way to compare counties; the posted rates show what a center with a website asks now.

In 2022, center infant care ranged from $182 a week in Adams County to $293 a week in Winnebago County, which includes Oshkosh. The three most populous counties, Milwaukee, Dane and Waukesha, sat at that same high end, at $293 a week each.

Home daycares cost noticeably less in Wisconsin. The middle county charged $155 a week for infant care in a home daycare, against $210 at a center, so a licensed family daycare is worth a look if your budget is tight.

Wisconsin Shares, the child care subsidy program run by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, pays part of the cost for working families with lower incomes. On DaycarePal, 92 Wisconsin daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the Wisconsin 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. Most Wisconsin school districts also run four-year-old kindergarten (4K), some of it in partnership with local child care centers, so ask your district what it offers.

A home daycare or a part-time schedule can also bring the price down. When you compare, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.