US county childcare affordability panel, annual (DOL NDCP)

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County-by-year childcare affordability intelligence from the DOL Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices: median and 75th-percentile weekly prices for center-based and family-childcare providers (infant, toddler, preschool), 3,220 counties x 2008-2022 (50 states + DC + Puerto Rico), with documented analytics — annual prices, each series' price-as-share-of-median-family-income burden, the binding max burden, HHS 7%-benchmark affordability tiers (1 affordable .. 4 severely burdened), state burden ranks, national burden percentiles, year-over-year burden changes, and center-vs-family-care cheapest-option spreads. Estimate-status flags are carried verbatim; suppressed prices and missing incomes surface as nulls, never imputed. A (county_fips, study_year) discretionary-income demand feature for shops, subscription churn models and sales-territory planning.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP)
Rows: 48,308
Columns: 47
Source cadence: Yearly
Last refreshed: Oct 2, 2026
Theme: economy

Column	Type	Description
country_code	string	ISO alpha-3 country code (always USA).
state_abbr	string	USPS state abbreviation (50 states + DC + PR).
state_name	string	State / district / territory name.
state_fips	string	2-digit state FIPS code.
county_name	string	County name as published by DOL.
county_fips	string	5-digit county FIPS code (primary geo key).
study_year	integer	NDCP study year, 2008-2022.
price_center_infant_weekly	float	Median weekly price for center-based care, infant (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
price_center_toddler_weekly	float	Median weekly price for center-based care, toddler (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
price_center_preschool_weekly	float	Median weekly price for center-based care, preschool (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
price_fcc_infant_weekly	float	Median weekly price for family childcare care, infant (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
price_fcc_toddler_weekly	float	Median weekly price for family childcare care, toddler (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
price_fcc_preschool_weekly	float	Median weekly price for family childcare care, preschool (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_center_infant_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for center-based care, infant (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_center_toddler_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for center-based care, toddler (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_center_preschool_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for center-based care, preschool (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_fcc_infant_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for family childcare care, infant (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_fcc_toddler_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for family childcare care, toddler (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
p75_fcc_preschool_weekly	float	75th-percentile weekly price for family childcare care, preschool (nominal dollars of the study year). Null = suppressed upstream.
est_flag_center_infant	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
est_flag_center_toddler	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
est_flag_center_preschool	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
est_flag_fcc_infant	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
est_flag_fcc_toddler	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
est_flag_fcc_preschool	integer	NDCP estimate-status flag as published (1/2/3); 1 marks directly reported county estimates. See the NDCP Technical Report (Sept 2024) for the imputation methodology.
median_family_income	integer	County median family income, nominal dollars of the study year (denominator of the burden series).
median_household_income	integer	County median household income, nominal dollars of the study year.
total_population	integer	County total population.
households	integer	County number of households.
hh_under6_both_parents_work	integer	Households with a child under 6 where both parents work — the core childcare-demand population.
annual_center_infant_usd	float	Annual price for one infant in center-based care (weekly median x 52), nominal dollars.
burden_center_infant_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_center_toddler_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_center_preschool_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_fcc_infant_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_fcc_toddler_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_fcc_preschool_pct	float	Annual price as a percentage of the county's same-year median family income. Null when the price or the income is missing (never imputed).
burden_max_pct	float	Binding affordability burden: the maximum of the six burden series for the county-year.
burden_tier	integer	Affordability tier on burden_max_pct vs the HHS 7% affordability benchmark: 1 affordable (<=7%), 2 strained (7-10%), 3 burdened (10-15%), 4 severely burdened (>15%).
unaffordable_flag	boolean	True when burden_max_pct exceeds the HHS 7% benchmark.
state_burden_rank	integer	Competition rank of burden_max_pct within the state and year (1 = lowest burden).
burden_pctile_national	string	National percentile (0-100) of burden_max_pct within the study year.
burden_yoy_pp	float	Year-over-year change of burden_max_pct per county, in percentage points; null on the county's first year.
cheapest_infant_option	string	'center' or 'fcc' — whichever infant median is lower; null when either is missing.
center_fcc_infant_spread_pct	string	(center - FCC) / center x 100 for infant medians; positive means center care costs more.
n_years_observed	integer	Number of study years observed for the county.
row_hash	string	Deterministic 16-hex sha256 over 'CHILDCARE\|<county_fips>\|<study_year>'.

First 10 sample rows — a preview, not the complete dataset.

country_code	state_abbr	state_name	state_fips	county_name	county_fips	study_year	price_center_infant_weekly	price_center_toddler_weekly	price_center_preschool_weekly	price_fcc_infant_weekly	price_fcc_toddler_weekly	price_fcc_preschool_weekly	p75_center_infant_weekly	p75_center_toddler_weekly	p75_center_preschool_weekly	p75_fcc_infant_weekly	p75_fcc_toddler_weekly	p75_fcc_preschool_weekly	est_flag_center_infant	est_flag_center_toddler	est_flag_center_preschool	est_flag_fcc_infant	est_flag_fcc_toddler	est_flag_fcc_preschool	median_family_income	median_household_income	total_population	households	hh_under6_both_parents_work	annual_center_infant_usd	burden_center_infant_pct	burden_center_toddler_pct	burden_center_preschool_pct	burden_fcc_infant_pct	burden_fcc_toddler_pct	burden_fcc_preschool_pct	burden_max_pct	burden_tier	unaffordable_flag	state_burden_rank	burden_pctile_national	burden_yoy_pp	cheapest_infant_option	center_fcc_infant_spread_pct	n_years_observed	row_hash
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,008	104.95	104.95	85.92	83.45	83.45	81.4	125.8	125.8	103	97.4	97.4	95	1	3	1	1	3	1	61,259	50,837	49,744	18,373	1,543	5,457.4	8.91	8.91	7.29	7.08	7.08	6.91	8.91	2	true	14	7.3	—	fcc	20.5	15	05cb49c72850a75d
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,009	105.11	105.11	87.59	87.39	87.39	85.68	126	126	105	102	102	100	1	3	1	1	3	1	63,458	51,463	49,584	18,288	1,475	5,465.72	8.61	8.61	7.18	7.16	7.16	7.02	8.61	2	true	8	6.9	-0.3	fcc	16.9	15	52a6496a97dd98f4
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,010	105.28	105.28	89.26	91.33	91.33	89.96	126.2	126.2	107	106.6	106.6	105	1	3	1	1	3	1	64,271	53,255	53,155	19,718	1,569	5,474.56	8.52	8.52	7.22	7.39	7.39	7.28	8.52	2	true	7	9.4	-0.09	fcc	13.3	15	c79a140c83957eab
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,011	105.45	105.45	90.93	95.28	95.28	94.25	126.4	126.4	109	111.2	111.2	110	1	3	1	1	3	1	65,706	53,899	53,944	19,998	1,695	5,483.4	8.35	8.35	7.2	7.54	7.54	7.46	8.35	2	true	6	8.1	-0.17	fcc	9.6	15	64978fe88a6c3b03
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,012	105.61	105.61	92.6	99.22	99.22	98.53	126.6	126.6	111	115.8	115.8	115	1	3	1	1	3	1	66,916	53,773	54,590	19,934	1,714	5,491.72	8.21	8.21	7.2	7.71	7.71	7.66	8.21	2	true	5	5.2	-0.14	fcc	6.1	15	a6b7543561e2d4b3
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,013	105.78	105.78	94.27	103.16	103.16	102.82	126.8	126.8	113	120.4	120.4	120	1	3	1	1	3	1	66,349	53,682	54,907	20,071	1,532	5,500.56	8.29	8.29	7.39	8.09	8.09	8.06	8.29	2	true	5	3.4	0.08	fcc	2.5	15	d3540b4e70fcd80e
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,014	105.95	105.95	95.94	107.1	107.1	107.1	127	127	115	125	125	125	1	3	1	1	1	1	64,417	52,475	55,136	20,304	1,557	5,509.4	8.55	8.55	7.74	8.65	8.65	8.65	8.65	2	true	6	4.7	0.36	center	-1.1	15	4da23e8a791a458c
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,015	109.56	109.56	97.33	107.1	107.1	106.81	131.33	131.33	116.67	125	125	124.67	1	3	1	1	3	1	65,397	51,281	55,221	20,396	1,306	5,697.12	8.71	8.71	7.74	8.52	8.52	8.49	8.71	2	true	6	5.3	0.06	fcc	2.2	15	056b3be4b19c1e8f
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,016	113.18	113.18	98.72	107.1	107.1	106.53	135.67	135.67	118.33	125	125	124.33	1	3	1	1	3	1	67,178	53,099	55,049	20,800	1,321	5,885.36	8.76	8.76	7.64	8.29	8.29	8.25	8.76	2	true	5	5.8	0.05	fcc	5.4	15	273ed50376be1585
USA	AL	Alabama	01	Autauga County	01001	2,017	116.79	116.79	100.11	107.1	107.1	106.24	140	140	120	125	125	124	1	3	1	1	3	1	69,991	55,317	55,036	21,054	1,243	6,073.08	8.68	8.68	7.44	7.96	7.96	7.89	8.68	2	true	7	4.9	-0.08	fcc	8.3	15	224f3c032888149f

Point any LLM at the metadata endpoint — the documentation above is machine-readable too (JSON-LD + Croissant).

cURL

curl "https://datazimuts.com/v1/datasets/us_childcare_affordability_intel/us_county_childcare_affordability_annual" | jq '{title, rows, columns_count, license}'

Python

import requests

ds = requests.get("https://datazimuts.com/v1/datasets/us_childcare_affordability_intel/us_county_childcare_affordability_annual").json()
print(ds["title"], ds["rows"], "rows")

# Sample rows for an LLM context window
for row in ds.get("sample_rows", [])[:5]:
    print(row)

API endpoint: https://datazimuts.com/v1/datasets/us_childcare_affordability_intel/us_county_childcare_affordability_annual

Tip: fetch /llms.txt for the full machine-readable catalog.

Cite this snapshot

Pinned to snapshot 20261002T050301Z-4617ef437784 and its content hash, so readers get exactly the data you used.

APA

U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). (2026). US county childcare affordability panel, annual (DOL NDCP) [Data set, snapshot 20261002T050301Z-4617ef437784, sha256 4617ef437784]. Datazimuts. Retrieved 2026-10-02, from https://datazimuts.com/en/datasets/us_childcare_affordability_intel/us_county_childcare_affordability_annual?snapshot=20261002T050301Z-4617ef437784

BibTeX

@misc{dz_us_childcare_affordability_intel_us_coun_4617ef43,
  title        = {{US county childcare affordability panel, annual (DOL NDCP)}},
  author       = {{U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau — National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP)}},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {Datazimuts},
  howpublished = {\url{https://datazimuts.com/en/datasets/us_childcare_affordability_intel/us_county_childcare_affordability_annual?snapshot=20261002T050301Z-4617ef437784}},
  note         = {Snapshot 20261002T050301Z-4617ef437784, sha256 4617ef4377844a9a19f8d2c2670942eb028c4dd870ec0fbd457b6cc081cc6e4f; accessed 2026-10-02}
}

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US county childcare affordability panel, annual (DOL NDCP)

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