California does not publish a current, official average of what families pay for daycare. What the state does publish is the Regional Market Rate (RMR) survey, which measures prices providers charge in each county and is used to set the maximum the state pays for subsidized care.
What the official numbers are
- The Regional Market Rate Survey collects the prices that centers and family child care homes charge in each of California's 58 counties.
- According to the Legislative Analyst's Office, current subsidy rates are based on the 75th percentile of the 2018 market survey, so they reflect prices from several years ago.
- The state is moving to an "alternative methodology" based on the cost of providing care. State law set July 1, 2025 for the new rates and says they cannot be lower than the rates previously in effect (LAO).
Because those figures are reimbursement ceilings for subsidized care and are based on an old survey, we do not present them as the price you will pay.
How to compare prices yourself
- Pick three to five licensed options on a city page, including at least one family child care home.
- Ask each for the full-time weekly or monthly rate for your child's age, plus registration and supply fees.
- Ask what is included: meals, diapers, extended hours.
- Compare against assistance you may qualify for.
What usually costs more
- Infant care: infant centers need more staff per child.
- Centers versus homes: homes often charge less, but it varies.
- Full-time versus part-time schedules.
See child care assistance in California and free TK for four-year-olds.