Our Premium Cost of Living Calculator includes Child Care Costs for infants or toddlers, at Home-based Day Care, or at a Day Care Center. Child care costs can vary greatly depending on where you live. Click here to customize.

Childcare
12.1% lower in Iowa City, Iowa
than in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

About our data

BestPlaces data for childcare expenses includes the annual cost of childcare for both in-home care and at larger childcare centers. The average childcare cost includes costs for both center-based childcare facilities and in-home care for infants and toddlers (1-4 years old).

Childcare cost

	King of Prussia, PA	Iowa City, IA	U.S. Avg	Difference
Child care	144.4	126.9	100.0	12.1% lower

100 = US Avg. Below 100 means cheaper. Above 100 means more expensive. About our Cost of Living Index

Childcare types

Childcare costs by type of care

	King of Prussia, PA	Iowa City, IA	U.S. Avg	Difference
Child care average	$13,720	$12,060	$9,500	12.1% lower
Infant at a Center	$15,030	$13,170	$11,592	12.4% lower
Infant at Home	$14,230	$12,440	$9,008	12.6% lower
Toddler at a Center	$12,400	$10,960	$9,067	11.6% lower
Toddler at Home	$9,290	$10,140	$8,343	9.1% higher

Understanding childcare costs

Childcare centers / daycares

Infant as a childcare center
21.8% higher
than Toddler care

Childcare centers are usually associated with:

Larger facilities, with many children (from 20-100 or more)
Separate areas for different age groups
Larger staff, often with some professionals and certified caregivers
Professional administrators

Childcare centers are likely to have these benefits:

Caregivers with professional or specialized training
More children and teachers for your child to socialize and bond with
A more structured environment and a professional infrastructure
More teachers, which means substitutes are readily available
Supervision of caregivers by managers

In-home childcare centers
7.4% higher
than Toddler care

In-home childcare providers often have:

Smaller facilities, such as a home or church
Few children, often 3-10
Mixed ages
Fewer caregivers, usually 1-4

In-home childcare usually has these advantages:

Less expensive
Mixed age groups for diverse interactions
Lower risk for communicative illnesses (fewer children)
More home-like, less institutional
Fewer children per teacher

Our BestPlaces childcare statistics are based on our research of childcare providers across the United States and reports published by Child Care Aware of America. Care.com and the Economic Policy Institute. For some counties, childcare expenses were not directly available. Using the available data at the national, state and county level, we used linear regression to identify the most significant predictor variables and create equations to provide values for the missing data.

Saving money on childcare

IRS childcare credit
You may be eligible to claim a tax credit for expenses related to child care and dependent care. If you paid a care provider (such as a daycare center, babysitter, or summer camp), to care for a child under age 12 or younger (or a disabled dependent of any age), you may qualify for a tax credit of up to 35 percent of qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one child, or up to $6,000 for two or more children or dependents.

Learn more with IRS publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.

Miscellaneous Expenses

The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

Current City	Comparison City
Las Vegas, Nevada	Scottsdale, Arizona	Compare
Bellevue, Washington	Key West, Florida	Compare
Muskegon Heights, Michigan	Miami, Florida	Compare
Tulsa, Oklahoma	Wellington, Florida	Compare
Santa Rosa, California	Dover, New Hampshire	Compare
Marquette, Michigan	Oxford, Michigan	Compare
Athol, Idaho	Monrovia, California	Compare
Hendersonville, North Carolina	The Villages, Florida	Compare
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Olney, Maryland	Compare
Saginaw, Texas	Rocky Ford, Colorado	Compare

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania vs. Iowa City, Iowa

Childcare Compare