Tempe, a dense college city in Maricopa County and home to Arizona State University, prices daycare near the Phoenix-metro average, above smaller Arizona markets. South Tempe and The Lakes set the top of the local range, while North Tempe near the university sits lower. Arizona leans on DES Child Care Assistance and Quality First ratings rather than a state tax credit or universal pre-K.
Reviewed by: a credentialed early-childhood reviewer (pending assignment).
In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in Tempe, Arizona runs roughly $1,150 to $1,550 per month for infant care and roughly $950 to $1,300 per month for preschool-age care, which puts Tempe near the Phoenix-metro average and above smaller Arizona markets. Licensed family child care typically charges 15 to 25 percent less than centers in the same part of town. These ranges come from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices for Maricopa County and the Arizona market rate survey, not single-point averages.
Infant care in Tempe prices 20 to 30 percent above preschool-age care because of staffing ratios. Arizona sets a tighter caregiver-to-infant ratio for the youngest infants than for preschoolers, so a center pays more adults to cover an infant room than a preschool room. That arithmetic keeps the infant line the most expensive item in any Tempe center's budget, per 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the Phoenix-Mesa area.
| Area | Infant, center | Preschool, center | Family child care |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tempe (Warner Ranch, Corona del Sol) | $1,420–$1,550 / month | $1,190–$1,300 / month | $1,150–$1,260 / month |
| The Lakes, Western Canal | $1,360–$1,490 / month | $1,130–$1,250 / month | $1,095–$1,210 / month |
| Central Tempe (Maple-Ash, Mill Avenue) | $1,290–$1,420 / month | $1,070–$1,190 / month | $1,035–$1,150 / month |
| North Tempe (ASU, Riverside) | $1,210–$1,340 / month | $1,010–$1,120 / month | $980–$1,085 / month |
| Escalante, Victory Acres | $1,165–$1,280 / month | $970–$1,070 / month | $940–$1,040 / month |
| Holdeman, Hudson Manor | $1,150–$1,250 / month | $950–$1,050 / month | $920–$1,015 / month |
These ranges reflect licensed care, not unlicensed arrangements or subsidized seats. South Tempe and The Lakes sit at the top of the range, tracking higher household incomes and newer development. North and central Tempe near Arizona State University sit lower. The spread across Tempe is moderate, so your child's age moves the bill more than your neighborhood does.
Not universally. Arizona has no statewide free pre-K, so most Tempe four-year-olds attend tuition-based preschool, per the Arizona Department of Education. Income-eligible families can access federal Head Start and First Things First preschool scholarships, and the Tempe Elementary and Kyrene school districts run some funded and tuition pre-K classrooms.
Because there is no universal free option, most Tempe families pay private tuition through the infant, toddler, three-year-old, and four-year-old years. That makes birth through five the costly stretch unless a family secures DES Child Care Assistance, a Head Start seat, or a First Things First scholarship, per First Things First and the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
Heads up. Tempe tracks the Phoenix-metro average, and without statewide free pre-K, the costly stretch runs longer here than in states with universal four-year-old programs. Licensed infant rooms in South Tempe and The Lakes fill early because tight infant ratios limit seats. Plan for full private tuition across the under-five years, apply for DES Child Care Assistance if you are income-eligible, and ask early about Head Start and First Things First scholarships.
Arizona helps income-eligible working families through DES Child Care Assistance, administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. The subsidy pays a participating certified or licensed provider directly, with an income-based parent co-pay, so parents can work, attend school, or train. Tempe families apply through DES and can choose a Quality First-rated provider.
Arizona does not offer a state child or dependent care tax credit, so the standout local cost reducers are DES Child Care Assistance, federal Head Start, and First Things First scholarships rather than a credit, per the Arizona Department of Economic Security and First Things First. When you tour a center in Warner Ranch, near Mill Avenue, or by Arizona State University, ask about its license or certification status and its Quality First star rating first, since the rating signals quality and a participating provider is what makes the subsidy and the federal credits usable.
With no state credit, three federal tools do the tax work for Tempe 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. Stacked with DES Child Care Assistance or a Head Start seat, these credits narrow the gap on a Tempe tuition bill.
Large Tempe employers, including Arizona State University, State Farm at Marina Heights, Carvana, and Amkor Technology, often offer a Dependent Care FSA through payroll. A two-earner household that funds the full $5,000 FSA typically saves roughly $1,100 to $1,500 in federal tax, then adds the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit of $600 to $1,200 and the federal Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000 per child on top, per Internal Revenue Service rules.
A two-income South Tempe family with a one-year-old in full-time licensed center care spends roughly $1,420 to $1,550 per month, or about $17,040 to $18,600 per year, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for Maricopa County and the Arizona market rate survey.
If the family is income-eligible for DES Child Care Assistance through the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the cost drops to an income-based parent co-pay at a participating certified or licensed provider.
If the family is over the income limit, the full private rate stands across the under-five years. A Dependent Care FSA recovers $5,000 in pre-tax savings, the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit recovers another $600 to $1,200, and the federal Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000 per child stacks on top.
Is daycare cheaper in Tempe than in Phoenix?
They are close. Tempe's licensed infant care runs roughly $1,150 to $1,550 per month at centers, tracking the broader Phoenix-metro average, since both sit in Maricopa County under the same Arizona ratios and DES Child Care Assistance rules, per the National Database of Childcare Prices for Maricopa County and the Arizona market rate survey. Neighborhood income drives more of the gap than the city line.
How do I apply for DES Child Care Assistance in Tempe?
Apply through the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers Child Care Assistance for income-eligible working, training, or in-school families under the federal Child Care and Development Fund, per DES. Approved families choose a participating certified or licensed provider and pay an income-based co-pay; choosing a Quality First-rated provider pairs the subsidy with a public quality signal.
Walk through the cost calculator to model your own Tempe year with DES Child Care Assistance, the FSA, and the federal credits factored in. Read our subsidized daycare guide and the daycare tax credit explainer, then compare nearby Arizona markets in Phoenix and Mesa. For listings and the full local landscape, see daycare in Tempe overall.
How Phoenix tuition compares, area by area, under the same Arizona subsidy system.
Read → Nearby costEast Valley pricing by area, plus DES Child Care Assistance and Quality First.
Read → ToolModel your Tempe daycare year with DES Child Care Assistance and the federal credits factored in.
Open →