Montgomery County is one of the two most highly-priced counties in Maryland for child care in 2026, tied only with Howard County. Annual tuition for children under five averages $19,425, regardless of whether care is based out of a home or center. But the average prices vary from town to town within the county, and depend on a variety of individual locale and provider factors. 

The high prices in Montgomery County are likely reflective of a few dynamics, including local household income being relatively high – in large part due to the county’s proximity to the jobs and economy in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore – and much higher demand for care than supply of spots, according to a county-wide study.

This article breaks down the unique data points across tuition, enrollment, state program participation, and more across Montgomery County, giving child care providers local insights to help strategically position and grow their business. 

What is the average child care tuition in Montgomery County, Maryland?

Breaking down average tuition by ages and care type, the annual pricing has a nearly $10k range in Montgomery County, Maryland. Center-based care is generally more expensive, but also typically offers a wider range of hours, services, and enrollment slots.

Of course, specific prices within the county will depend on the economic dynamics of your town, including the local population and the frequency of children under five, parent propensity to work rather than stay home to raise the children, local costs of operating a business, and more (see the full tuition pricing guide for more information about what goes into child care tuition in Montgomery County and beyond).

How many families have young children in Montgomery County?

As the U.S. Census data below shows, Montgomery County beats out both Maryland and the United States when it comes to several child care demand-related statistics, including average family size, propensity for families to have two working parents, and median family income. This spells a lot of opportunity for child care providers to serve their community while earning reliable revenue. This data is the latest available, for calendar year 2024.

A 2025 Reinvestment Fund study commissioned by the county estimated demand for care for children under age 5 at about 57,300 seats, against a licensed capacity of roughly 33,600, covering approximately 59% of potential need. The gap is heavily concentrated among infants and toddlers, with only enough seats for about 19% of that group (demand of approximately 22,100 vs. supply of approximately 4,300). Preschool-age capacity (roughly ages 2–5) is much better, covering about 83% of potential demand. 

Shortages exist across income levels and communities (high-, moderate-, and low-income areas, and across racial/ethnic groups). Even where seats exist, access issues arise around location, hours, quality, and bilingual staffing. At the same time, surveys of providers found average vacancy rates around 26%, with many programs enrolled well below licensed capacity. 

Subsidy and QRIS participation in Montgomery County, MD

Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Participation in Montgomery County

CCS is Maryland’s statewide program that helps eligible families pay for child care. Providers get reimbursed when they serve these families.

Statewide, 67% of licensed centers and 41% of family child care providers had at least one child enrolled with a CCS scholarship. Montgomery County providers and residents can check their local participation rate at the zip code level with this interactive map to get a sense for supply and demand in their specific community. According to the 2025 Reinvestment Fund study, an estimated 55% of programs in Montgomery County are eligible to accept this subsidy, regardless of whether they currently serve such students.

Data from the Maryland State Department of Education show that roughly 6,000 to 7,000 children are enrolled in CCS per month as of 2026.

Sign up here for the Child Care Provider portal, which facilitates CCS.

Working Parent Assistance (WPA) participation

Working Parent Assistance, or WPA, is Montgomery County’s local program that helps some families who don’t fully qualify for CCS, or otherwise need extra help. The Reinvestment Fund study found that about 16% of programs were participating in WPA, with 33% of centers and 8% of home-based care contributing to this county-wide average.

Learn more about the Maryland WPA program here.

Quality ratings: EXCELS program participation

Maryland EXCELS is the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Participating providers earn a published rating from 1 to 5 based on standards that go beyond basic licensing – such as staff qualifications, curriculum, family engagement, and administration. Participation is free.

Recent monthly data show roughly 76% of licensed programs in Montgomery County participate, with hundreds rated at levels 3–5. Participation in EXCELS is a prerequisite for accepting CCS.

Learn more about the Maryland EXCELS program here.

Data and methodology

Data for Montgomery County, Maryland, and U.S. population and family demographics comes from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2024, the latest full year available. Data sets used include DP05, DP02, s1901, and B23008.

Supply and demand data is reported from “The State of Supply and Demand for Childcare in Montgomery County, MD” published by The Reinvestment Fund in 2025.