Child care · Maryland
Child care costs in Maryland
Infant care is expensive in Maryland: a full-time spot at a child care center averaged $25,321 a year in 2024, about $2,110 a month. Licensed home-based care was much cheaper at $15,919, $9,402 less. The center price takes 24.6% of the state median household income, the 2nd least affordable of 50 ranked states.
Maryland child care prices by age
| Age | Center, per year | Center, per month | Home-based, per year | Home-based, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $25,321 | $2,110 | $15,919 | $1,327 |
| Toddler | $22,594 | $1,883 | $15,676 | $1,306 |
| 4-year-old | $15,601 | $1,300 | $13,416 | $1,118 |
— means Maryland 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 Maryland compares
| Center infant price rank | 3rd highest of 50 (50 states and DC with a price); middle state $15,080 |
|---|---|
| Median household income, 2024 | $102,905 (margin of error ±$1,404); U.S. $81,604 |
| Center infant care as share of that income | 24.6% (about 12.8 weeks of pay) |
| Home-based infant care as share of income | 15.5% |
| Affordability rank | 2 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 Maryland
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.
Maryland starts paying family leave benefits in 2028; until then, time off with a new baby is unpaid unless your employer pays: Maryland paid family leave. To add care, leave and credits into one year-one number, use the baby budget calculator set to Maryland.
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 Maryland”, thismom.com/child-care-costs/maryland/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.