Side-by-side childcare cost comparison. Data from Child Care Aware of America (2024).
Iowa is $4,170/year cheaper on average ($8,340 vs $12,510).
Iowa has better affordability at 11.5% of income vs 13.8%.
| Metric | Iowa (IA) | Washington (WA) |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Annual Cost | $8,340 | $12,510 |
| Infant (Center) | $11,760 | $18,000 |
| Infant (Home) | $8,640 | $13,200 |
| Toddler (Center) | $10,200 | $15,480 |
| Toddler (Home) | $7,440 | $11,400 |
| Preschool (Center) | $9,360 | $13,800 |
| Preschool (Home) | $6,840 | $10,080 |
| School-Age (Center) | $7,200 | $10,440 |
| School-Age (Home) | $5,280 | $7,680 |
| % of Income | 11.5% | 13.8% |
| Median Income | $72,429 | $90,325 |
| Cost Rank | #29 | #5 |
| Licensed Providers | 4,400 | 7,000 |
| Quality System | Iowa Quality Rating System | Early Achievers |
The ChildCarePeek editorial team aggregates and verifies childcare cost data from Child Care Aware of America. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against official sources before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.