Child care · California
Child care costs in California
Infant care is expensive in California: a full-time spot at a child care center averaged $22,628 a year in 2024, about $1,886 a month. Home-based family child care averaged $19,022. That equals 22.6% of the state median household income, or about 11.7 weeks of a typical household's pay.
California child care prices by age
| Age | Center, per year | Center, per month | Home-based, per year | Home-based, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $22,628 | $1,886 | $19,022 | $1,585 |
| Toddler | — | — | — | — |
| 4-year-old | $16,665 | $1,389 | $16,763 | $1,397 |
California did not answer the latest survey, so Child Care Aware of America used the state’s most recent market rate survey. — means California did not report that price. Monthly figures are the yearly average divided by 12. Source: Child Care Aware of America, Child Care in America: 2024 Affordability Analysis, Tables I and II.
How California compares
| Center infant price rank | 5th highest of 50 (50 states and DC with a price); middle state $15,080 |
|---|---|
| Median household income, 2024 | $100,149 (margin of error ±$381); U.S. $81,604 |
| Center infant care as share of that income | 22.6% (about 11.7 weeks of pay) |
| Home-based infant care as share of income | 19.0% |
| Affordability rank | 13 of 50 ranked (1 = least affordable) |
Ranks and income shares come from the Baby Money Report 2027; income is the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 1-year median household income (B19013) for all households, not only families with babies. Every state side by side: child care costs by state.
Ways to cut the bill in California
If your employer offers a dependent care FSA, you can pay up to $7,500 of care with pre-tax pay in 2026 (IRS Publication 15-B). The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit covers 20% to 50% of up to $3,000 in care for one child. Which one saves more depends on your income: try the FSA vs. credit calculator, and see every credit on the 2026 baby tax benefits page.
Before care starts, California pays up to 8 weeks of bonding leave at up to $1,765 a week: California paid family leave. To add care, leave and credits into one year-one number, use the baby budget calculator set to California.
Sources: Child Care Aware of America, U.S. Census Bureau. Data free to reuse: JSON.
Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources: Child Care Aware of America, U.S. Census Bureau.
Cite this page: This Mom, “Child Care Costs in California”, thismom.com/child-care-costs/california/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.