Daycare cost in Hillsboro, OR, the Silicon Forest math.

Hillsboro is the seat of Washington County, the heart of Oregon's Silicon Forest. Center-based infant care runs $1,500 to $1,975 a month in 2026. That sits at the top of the Portland metro, above the Oregon average, on the strength of Intel-area wages. Free public pre-K is income-targeted here. Most families pay the private rate below.

The headline numbers

Full-time center-based infant care in Hillsboro runs roughly $1,500 to $1,975 a month in 2026. Preschool-age care runs roughly $1,225 to $1,575. Licensed family child care, regulated under Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 414, charges about 10 to 20 percent less than centers. These ranges come from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices for Washington County and Oregon DELC market data, not single figures.

Infant care prices about 20 to 30 percent above preschool care. The ratio sets the floor. Oregon caps the center infant ratio at 1:4 with a maximum group of eight under OAR Chapter 414, easing as children age. Wages are the second driver. The 2025 BLS OEWS records Portland-metro child care pay above the state average, and Hillsboro's Intel-anchored economy pushes local rates to the top of that band.

Cost by neighborhood

Hillsboro prices follow the local map. The Orenco Station and AmberGlen tracts near the Intel campuses carry the top rates; the older Reedville and Witch Hazel areas sit below. These ranges represent licensed, Spark-rated care, not subsidized seats or unrated providers. The spread runs about 15 to 20 percent. Hillsboro sits at the expensive end of the Portland metro because two-income tech households bid up the limited infant supply.

Does Hillsboro have free pre-K?

Partly. Unlike neighboring Multnomah County, Washington County has no universal Preschool for All program. Free public seats in Hillsboro are income-targeted: Preschool Promise, the state-funded program for families up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten (Head Start). The Hillsboro School District also runs limited public preschool and Head Start partnerships.

Hillsboro's free seats are means-tested, not universal. Preschool Promise and Head Start prioritize the highest-need families and fill quickly. A two-income Intel or Genentech household typically earns above the income lines and pays the full private rate for a three- or four-year-old. That is the clearest contrast with Gresham, where Multnomah County's Preschool for All covers that age regardless of income.

What subsidies help under-three care?

Oregon's main subsidy is Employment Related Day Care (ERDC), administered by the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) and the Oregon Department of Human Services under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. ERDC serves working families and students up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, with an income-based copay and a higher exit income that lets families keep the benefit as pay rises.

ERDC pays providers on the DELC maximum rate schedule, set by region and provider type; the Portland metro sits in the top rate band. Approved families must use a listed, registered, or certified provider. Because Hillsboro center rates often exceed the ERDC maximum, a family may owe the difference above the state rate plus the copay. Apply through the Oregon DHS office serving Washington County.

Federal credits and Oregon tax tools

Oregon has a state income tax, so families stack state and federal tools. The state Working Family Household and Dependent Care Credit (WFHDC) is refundable and scales with income and care costs. On top sit the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit on IRS Form 2441, a Dependent Care FSA (up to $5,000 per family per year, pre-tax), and the federal Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000 per child.

Major Hillsboro employers, including Intel, Genentech, Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente, and the Hillsboro School District, generally offer a Dependent Care FSA through payroll, and several run on-site or backup-care benefits worth checking. A two-earner household that funds the full $5,000 FSA recovers about $1,100 to $1,600 in federal tax, then adds the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit, the Oregon WFHDC, and the federal Child Tax Credit per child.

How families lower the bill

Five levers move a Hillsboro bill. Washington County has no Preschool for All, so the credits and the FSA do more of the work here than in Portland proper. Provider type and timing fill the gap.

1. Fund the Dependent Care FSA. Up to $5,000 pre-tax through an Intel, Genentech, or Kaiser payroll recovers roughly $1,100 to $1,600 a year.
2. Claim the Oregon Working Family Household and Dependent Care Credit, refundable and scaled to income and care cost.
3. Check Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level; the state pays the provider at the DELC maximum rate.
4. Compare licensed family child care, 10 to 20 percent below centers per Oregon DELC market data.
5. Time the move out of infant care. Preschool rates run 20 to 30 percent lower once a child clears the 1:4 infant ratio.

Where to go next

Model your own Hillsboro year in the cost calculator with ERDC, the WFHDC, and the federal credits factored in. Read our Oregon Preschool Promise explainer, the Oregon childcare subsidy guide, and the Oregon state cost overview. Compare nearby Portland and Gresham, or return to the cost pillar.