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 $8,663 a year in the typical county in Michigan, or $722 a month, 7.7% more than the $8,040 for the typical county nationally. Care for a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old comes to about $16,936 a year. The cost of care for one preschooler is 11.3% 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, none of Michigan's 83 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 16.9% of the total in the typical county.
Build a budget with your own child care cost, or see the rest of what Michigan costs.
Care for a 4-year-old costs most in Washtenaw County ($13,655), Benzie County ($11,814) and Marquette County ($11,324), and least in Berrien County ($6,941), Jackson County ($7,173) and Presque Isle County ($7,300). Metro counties are priced at child care centers, other counties at home-based family child care.
| Alcona County | $8,671 | $723 | $16,807 | 12.2% |
| Alger County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.9% |
| Allegan County | $10,145 | $845 | $18,928 | 10.8% |
| Alpena County | $7,300 | $608 | $15,980 | 10.7% |
| Antrim County | $9,193 | $766 | $15,710 | 10.6% |
| Arenac County | $8,103 | $675 | $17,176 | 11.6% |
| Baraga County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 12.8% |
| Barry County | $10,014 | $835 | $17,594 | 10.4% |
| Bay County | $10,943 | $912 | $22,112 | 13.8% |
| Benzie County | $11,814 | $985 | $21,730 | 13.3% |
| Berrien County | $6,941 | $578 | $13,158 | 8.5% |
| Branch County | $8,398 | $700 | $14,071 | 11.0% |
| Calhoun County | $8,215 | $685 | $14,836 | 10.5% |
| Cass County | $7,351 | $613 | $12,869 | 8.6% |
| Charlevoix County | $9,225 | $769 | $15,774 | 10.0% |
| Cheboygan County | $8,604 | $717 | $16,673 | 11.8% |
| Chippewa County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 10.7% |
| Clare County | $8,103 | $675 | $16,827 | 13.4% |
| Clinton County | $8,623 | $719 | $15,655 | 8.0% |
| Crawford County | $8,164 | $680 | $15,794 | 11.3% |
| Delta County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.5% |
| Dickinson County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 11.9% |
| Eaton County | $8,811 | $734 | $15,844 | 9.1% |
| Emmet County | $8,519 | $710 | $14,360 | 9.4% |
| Genesee County | $9,469 | $789 | $17,598 | 12.1% |
| Gladwin County | $8,103 | $675 | $17,072 | 11.2% |
| Gogebic County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 13.4% |
| Grand Traverse County | $10,429 | $869 | $18,961 | 10.6% |
| Gratiot County | $8,103 | $675 | $16,773 | 11.2% |
| Hillsdale County | $8,484 | $707 | $15,363 | 11.4% |
| Houghton County | $9,125 | $760 | $19,375 | 11.2% |
| Huron County | $7,835 | $653 | $16,821 | 10.4% |
| Ingham County | $7,573 | $631 | $14,622 | 8.3% |
| Ionia County | $7,357 | $613 | $12,880 | 8.7% |
| Iosco County | $8,103 | $675 | $16,936 | 12.9% |
| Iron County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 12.8% |
| Isabella County | $9,274 | $773 | $16,942 | 12.2% |
| Jackson County | $7,173 | $598 | $13,600 | 8.6% |
| Kalamazoo County | $8,222 | $685 | $15,858 | 8.7% |
| Kalkaska County | $10,027 | $836 | $17,377 | 13.1% |
| Kent County | $8,283 | $690 | $15,489 | 8.4% |
| Keweenaw County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 10.9% |
| Lake County | $8,663 | $722 | $16,913 | 14.7% |
| Lapeer County | $9,059 | $755 | $16,818 | 10.3% |
| Leelanau County | $10,319 | $860 | $18,740 | 9.5% |
| Lenawee County | $8,005 | $667 | $14,403 | 10.0% |
| Livingston County | $10,587 | $882 | $18,534 | 8.9% |
| Luce County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.9% |
| Mackinac County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.6% |
| Macomb County | $10,776 | $898 | $20,443 | 11.3% |
| Manistee County | $9,466 | $789 | $17,982 | 12.3% |
| Marquette County | $11,324 | $944 | $21,432 | 13.3% |
| Mason County | $8,663 | $722 | $16,065 | 10.8% |
| Mecosta County | $8,103 | $675 | $15,571 | 11.3% |
| Menominee County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.1% |
| Midland County | $8,952 | $746 | $18,320 | 9.1% |
| Missaukee County | $9,671 | $806 | $16,666 | 13.2% |
| Monroe County | $8,089 | $674 | $15,938 | 8.6% |
| Montcalm County | $7,612 | $634 | $13,366 | 10.3% |
| Montmorency County | $8,904 | $742 | $17,273 | 14.0% |
| Muskegon County | $7,686 | $641 | $16,007 | 10.0% |
| Newaygo County | $8,663 | $722 | $16,336 | 11.8% |
| Oakland County | $10,769 | $897 | $20,413 | 8.6% |
| Oceana County | $8,663 | $722 | $16,376 | 11.8% |
| Ogemaw County | $8,103 | $675 | $16,710 | 12.2% |
| Ontonagon County | $9,125 | $760 | $17,642 | 13.5% |
| Osceola County | $8,103 | $675 | $15,931 | 11.7% |
| Oscoda County | $8,357 | $696 | $16,178 | 13.7% |
| Otsego County | $7,739 | $645 | $14,943 | 9.2% |
| Ottawa County | $8,056 | $671 | $16,159 | 7.6% |
| Presque Isle County | $7,300 | $608 | $15,969 | 10.1% |
| Roscommon County | $8,103 | $675 | $16,733 | 11.8% |
| Saginaw County | $9,266 | $772 | $17,344 | 12.4% |
| Sanilac County | $9,777 | $815 | $18,483 | 13.3% |
| Schoolcraft County | $8,517 | $710 | $17,033 | 11.7% |
| Shiawassee County | $9,847 | $821 | $18,318 | 12.0% |
| St. Clair County | $8,762 | $730 | $17,724 | 10.3% |
| St. Joseph County | $8,461 | $705 | $14,197 | 10.9% |
| Tuscola County | $9,597 | $800 | $18,122 | 12.8% |
| Van Buren County | $9,969 | $831 | $17,262 | 12.1% |
| Washtenaw County | $13,655 | $1,138 | $26,154 | 11.2% |
| Wayne County | $10,016 | $835 | $18,696 | 12.9% |
| Wexford County | $10,033 | $836 | $17,389 | 12.9% |
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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