Reviewed by [pending] · See our editorial standards
Bellevue is Nebraska's third-largest city, the heart of Sarpy County in the Omaha metro, and home to Offutt Air Force Base, which shapes its child care market in a way few suburbs share. Daycare prices sit a little below Omaha proper and around the Nebraska median. The newer Twin Creek neighborhoods on the southwest edge set the top of the range. Older Olde Towne Bellevue near the river sits at the bottom. Military families have on-base options most civilians do not.
In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in Bellevue runs roughly $1,000 to $1,350 per month for infant care and roughly $850 to $1,150 per month for preschool-age care, per the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices for Sarpy County (2024) and the Nebraska child care market rate survey. Licensed family child care homes typically charge 15 to 25 percent less than centers in the same area. These are ranges, not single-point averages.
Infant care is the expensive end, usually 20 to 30 percent above preschool-age care, because of ratios. Nebraska sets a tighter licensed ratio for infants, generally one adult for every four, than for older children, per Nebraska DHHS licensing rules. An infant room takes more teachers to staff, so the infant line stays the heaviest item in any Bellevue center's budget, ahead of rent in Twin Creek or near the Offutt gate.
Bellevue runs from the older riverfront core out to the newer southwest subdivisions, and prices climb as the construction gets newer. Use this as your anchor before you start touring.
| Area | Infant, center | Preschool, center | Family child care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Creek, southwest Bellevue | $1,285–$1,350 / month | $1,090–$1,150 / month | $1,040–$1,105 / month |
| Beardmore, west Bellevue | $1,205–$1,285 / month | $1,020–$1,090 / month | $975–$1,045 / month |
| Southroads, central Bellevue | $1,130–$1,210 / month | $960–$1,025 / month | $915–$985 / month |
| Near Offutt AFB, east-central | $1,075–$1,150 / month | $915–$975 / month | $875–$935 / month |
| Mission, north Bellevue | $1,030–$1,105 / month | $875–$935 / month | $840–$900 / month |
| Olde Towne Bellevue, riverfront | $1,000–$1,070 / month | $850–$910 / month | $815–$875 / month |
These ranges reflect licensed civilian care, not on-base care or subsidized seats. Twin Creek sits at the top because newer commercial space costs more to lease and centers there pay the wages needed to keep credentialed teachers. Olde Towne Bellevue sits lower at comparable Step Up to Quality ratings, mostly because older building stock costs less to run. Your child's age still moves the bill more than which part of Bellevue you pick.
Partly. Nebraska does not have full universal pre-K, but the Nebraska Department of Education funds public preschool through districts, and Bellevue Public Schools runs preschool programs, generally part-day and prioritized by income and need. Separately, families stationed at or working for Offutt Air Force Base can use on-base Child Development Centers and the Air Force fee-assistance program, which can make care markedly cheaper than the civilian market for eligible military households.
The honest read for working Bellevue parents: most civilian families will not get a free public preschool seat and should budget for full private tuition through age five, with the DHHS subsidy and federal credits as the main offsets. Military families should price the Offutt Child Development Center and fee assistance first, since on-base care and the Air Force subsidy often beat civilian rates, though base waitlists can be long.
Heads up. If you are an Offutt-connected family, check the on-base Child Development Center and Air Force fee assistance before you shop the civilian market, because eligible military households often pay less on base. If you are a civilian family, Nebraska has no universal pre-K, so budget around full private tuition and lean on the DHHS subsidy, your employer's Dependent Care FSA, and the federal credits.
The Nebraska Child Care Subsidy program, run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under the federal Child Care and Development Fund, helps working, job-searching, or in-training families under the income ceiling pay for licensed care, including infants and toddlers. Sarpy County families apply through DHHS and pay a sliding-scale family fee while the state pays the provider the balance. Eligibility is income-tested against a percentage of the federal poverty level.
Subsidy provider payments connect to Step Up to Quality, Nebraska's quality rating and improvement system, so a higher-rated Bellevue center signals both quality and stronger state support. When you tour a center in Twin Creek or near Offutt, the Step Up to Quality level and the Nebraska DHHS license are the two state-published signals worth asking about first. Head Start also serves income-eligible Sarpy County families.
Three federal tools lower the real cost for working Bellevue families: the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit on IRS Form 2441, a Dependent Care FSA at many employers (up to $5,000 per household per year in pre-tax savings), and the federal Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000 per child. Nebraska also offers a refundable state Child and Dependent Care Credit for lower-income families tied to the federal credit, so check current eligibility with the Nebraska Department of Revenue when you file.
Many Bellevue-area employers offer a Dependent Care FSA through payroll, including Offutt Air Force Base civilian payroll, Bellevue Public Schools, CHI Health Midlands, and the broader Omaha metro employers many residents commute to. A two-earner household that funds the full $5,000 FSA typically saves roughly $1,100 to $1,500 in federal tax, then stacks the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit of $600 to $1,200, the federal Child Tax Credit, and any Nebraska state credit on top.
A two-income Twin Creek family with a one-year-old in full-time licensed civilian center care spends roughly $1,285 to $1,350 per month, or about $15,400 to $16,200 per year, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for Sarpy County and the Nebraska child care market rate survey.
If the family qualifies for the Nebraska Child Care Subsidy through DHHS, the family share drops to a sliding-scale fee, with the state paying the provider the balance, and a higher Step Up to Quality rating can mean stronger support. Military families may instead use the Offutt Child Development Center with Air Force fee assistance, often at a lower net cost.
If the family is over the subsidy ceiling and not military-connected, the full private rate stands for the infant year. A Dependent Care FSA recovers $5,000 in pre-tax savings, the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit and Child Tax Credit stack on top, and the Nebraska state credit may add more for lower-income households.
Walk through the cost calculator to model your own Bellevue year with the subsidy, the FSA, and the federal credits factored in. Read our Nebraska pre-K explainer, the Nebraska child care subsidy guide, and the 2026 child care tax credit explainer. Compare nearby rates in Omaha, see the Nebraska state cost overview, and the broader cost pillar. For listings and the full local landscape, see daycare in Bellevue overall and the editorial best daycares in Bellevue roundup.
How Bellevue compares with Omaha, Lincoln, and the rest of Nebraska, with sourced ranges.
Read → SubsidyWho qualifies for the DHHS subsidy, the income limits, and how to apply in Sarpy County.
Read → ToolModel your Bellevue daycare year with the subsidy, the FSA, and federal credits.
Open →