Monthly Median Child Care Rates (by county)
Provider Median Rates: The median rate is that rate at which half of the providers charge the same or higher and the other half charge the same or lower. It is the most central rate. It means that half the providers have either the median rate or lower and the other half are either equal to or higher than the median. For example, 5 centers are sorted by rate from lowest to highest. The rate of the third center in the list is the median rate. The median rate is more accurate than using averages because averages can be distorted by a few providers who charge either an excessively low or an excessively high rate, particularly in counties where there are a small number of providers.
