What care costs for a preschooler and for two children, county by county, and how it compares with what families here earn.
Full-time care for a 4-year-old costs about $8,825 a year in the typical county in Illinois, or $735 a month, 9.8% more than the $8,040 for the typical county nationally. Care for a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old comes to about $12,061 a year. The cost of care for one preschooler is 10.7% of median family income in the typical county.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services counts child care as affordable when it takes no more than 7% of family income. For one 4-year-old, 3 of Illinois's 102 counties meet that at the median family income; nationally, 259 of 3,131 counties do. In the budget EPI draws up for two parents and two children, child care is 12.1% of the total in the typical county. In 9 counties, care for one preschooler costs more than the family's housing.
Build a budget with your own child care cost, or see the rest of what Illinois costs.
Care for a 4-year-old costs most in DuPage County ($19,213), McHenry County ($17,105) and McLean County ($16,973), and least in Jasper County ($5,580), Hancock County ($5,580) and Pike County ($5,986). Metro counties are priced at child care centers, other counties at home-based family child care.
| Adams County | $8,014 | $668 | $9,793 | 9.3% |
| Alexander County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 13.2% |
| Bond County | $12,471 | $1,039 | $14,722 | 14.4% |
| Boone County | $11,052 | $921 | $22,350 | 11.1% |
| Brown County | $6,392 | $533 | $10,412 | 7.5% |
| Bureau County | $8,825 | $735 | $12,845 | 10.7% |
| Calhoun County | $7,024 | $585 | $11,856 | 6.5% |
| Carroll County | $7,608 | $634 | $10,399 | 9.8% |
| Cass County | $11,664 | $972 | $15,684 | 15.3% |
| Champaign County | $14,539 | $1,212 | $17,675 | 15.0% |
| Christian County | $8,938 | $745 | $12,450 | 11.1% |
| Clark County | $6,392 | $533 | $8,083 | 7.5% |
| Clay County | $6,392 | $533 | $7,660 | 8.6% |
| Clinton County | $9,875 | $823 | $12,363 | 9.7% |
| Coles County | $8,825 | $735 | $10,924 | 12.0% |
| Cook County | $11,508 | $959 | $16,533 | 11.2% |
| Crawford County | $8,419 | $702 | $10,217 | 9.8% |
| Cumberland County | $7,608 | $634 | $9,068 | 8.1% |
| De Witt County | $8,419 | $702 | $10,701 | 9.4% |
| DeKalb County | $14,346 | $1,196 | $18,605 | 15.3% |
| Douglas County | $8,419 | $702 | $10,320 | 9.6% |
| DuPage County | $19,213 | $1,601 | $23,776 | 14.1% |
| Edgar County | $7,608 | $634 | $10,472 | 10.2% |
| Edwards County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 10.9% |
| Effingham County | $7,608 | $634 | $9,583 | 8.1% |
| Fayette County | $8,825 | $735 | $10,726 | 12.1% |
| Ford County | $8,825 | $735 | $11,364 | 10.4% |
| Franklin County | $9,753 | $813 | $12,094 | 14.5% |
| Fulton County | $10,082 | $840 | $13,424 | 13.5% |
| Gallatin County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 11.1% |
| Greene County | $9,636 | $803 | $11,084 | 12.9% |
| Grundy County | $11,526 | $961 | $13,807 | 10.5% |
| Hamilton County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 10.7% |
| Hancock County | $5,580 | $465 | $7,168 | 6.6% |
| Hardin County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 11.8% |
| Henderson County | $8,014 | $668 | $11,254 | 10.5% |
| Henry County | $11,092 | $924 | $13,510 | 12.4% |
| Iroquois County | $7,203 | $600 | $9,326 | 8.8% |
| Jackson County | $11,254 | $938 | $16,086 | 14.5% |
| Jasper County | $5,580 | $465 | $7,862 | 6.1% |
| Jefferson County | $8,938 | $745 | $10,371 | 12.0% |
| Jersey County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 8.3% |
| Jo Daviess County | $7,203 | $600 | $9,993 | 7.7% |
| Johnson County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 10.4% |
| Kane County | $16,861 | $1,405 | $21,202 | 14.5% |
| Kankakee County | $8,074 | $673 | $10,198 | 9.3% |
| Kendall County | $13,860 | $1,155 | $17,358 | 11.6% |
| Knox County | $8,938 | $745 | $12,742 | 11.3% |
| La Salle County | $11,664 | $972 | $15,684 | 13.2% |
| Lake County | $14,346 | $1,196 | $19,301 | 10.8% |
| Lawrence County | $8,040 | $670 | $10,250 | 10.8% |
| Lee County | $9,636 | $803 | $14,004 | 11.3% |
| Livingston County | $9,636 | $803 | $11,537 | 10.8% |
| Logan County | $8,825 | $735 | $12,167 | 10.7% |
| Macon County | $11,660 | $972 | $14,045 | 13.7% |
| Macoupin County | $11,485 | $957 | $13,703 | 13.6% |
| Madison County | $12,673 | $1,056 | $18,473 | 13.1% |
| Marion County | $7,203 | $600 | $9,250 | 9.3% |
| Marshall County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 9.1% |
| Mason County | $7,608 | $634 | $9,965 | 9.5% |
| Massac County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 10.5% |
| McDonough County | $7,608 | $634 | $8,992 | 10.2% |
| McHenry County | $17,105 | $1,425 | $21,768 | 14.1% |
| McLean County | $16,973 | $1,414 | $22,399 | 15.2% |
| Menard County | $9,875 | $823 | $14,707 | 10.2% |
| Mercer County | $10,443 | $870 | $15,275 | 11.3% |
| Monroe County | $10,240 | $853 | $12,774 | 7.9% |
| Montgomery County | $9,636 | $803 | $11,665 | 11.1% |
| Morgan County | $9,636 | $803 | $11,710 | 10.8% |
| Moultrie County | $8,825 | $735 | $10,726 | 9.6% |
| Ogle County | $9,429 | $786 | $12,978 | 10.0% |
| Peoria County | $11,782 | $982 | $15,374 | 13.3% |
| Perry County | $9,340 | $778 | $13,360 | 12.4% |
| Piatt County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 8.2% |
| Pike County | $5,986 | $499 | $7,507 | 7.5% |
| Pope County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 9.1% |
| Pulaski County | $9,753 | $813 | $13,774 | 16.0% |
| Putnam County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 8.6% |
| Randolph County | $7,608 | $634 | $11,629 | 8.5% |
| Richland County | $8,014 | $668 | $9,936 | 10.2% |
| Rock Island County | $10,646 | $887 | $13,307 | 12.2% |
| Saline County | $9,753 | $813 | $13,774 | 13.5% |
| Sangamon County | $10,646 | $887 | $13,131 | 10.5% |
| Schuyler County | $6,392 | $533 | $8,326 | 7.5% |
| Scott County | $8,040 | $670 | $9,561 | 8.7% |
| Shelby County | $8,040 | $670 | $10,092 | 9.6% |
| St. Clair County | $9,835 | $820 | $12,052 | 10.6% |
| Stark County | $8,053 | $671 | $12,885 | 9.9% |
| Stephenson County | $8,938 | $745 | $10,861 | 11.2% |
| Tazewell County | $11,052 | $921 | $14,346 | 11.3% |
| Union County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 9.6% |
| Vermilion County | $7,604 | $634 | $9,855 | 10.1% |
| Wabash County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 9.6% |
| Warren County | $7,361 | $613 | $10,366 | 8.9% |
| Washington County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 8.5% |
| Wayne County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 10.5% |
| White County | $8,040 | $670 | $12,061 | 11.5% |
| Whiteside County | $9,835 | $820 | $14,414 | 11.5% |
| Will County | $15,513 | $1,293 | $19,062 | 12.5% |
| Williamson County | $10,443 | $870 | $12,171 | 12.2% |
| Winnebago County | $11,226 | $936 | $13,851 | 13.8% |
| Woodford County | $13,403 | $1,117 | $19,524 | 12.3% |
Click a column to sort it. The share compares care for one 4-year-old with the county's median family income. A dash means EPI publishes no income figure for that county.
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