144 councils
What childcare costs where you live
The median hourly fee parents actually pay, in every council in England, from the Department for Education's provider survey. A three-year-old's hour costs £5.00 in Stockton-on-Tees and £11.00 in Westminster. That is the same childcare, more than twice the price.
£6.51median hour, England average of councils
£11.00most expensive: Westminster
£5.00cheapest: Stockton-on-Tees
144councils with reliable figures
Every council
Median hourly fee, most expensive first
These are survey medians for the whole council, not the price at any one nursery. Councils where fewer than ten providers were surveyed are left out rather than shown with a shaky number.
| Council | Region | 2-year-old | 3 to 4-year-old | 30 funded hours worth | Settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | London | £11.25 | £11.00 | £12,540 | 168 |
| Richmond upon Thames | London | £10.00 | £10.00 | £11,400 | 373 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | London | £10.95 | £10.00 | £11,400 | 221 |
| Lambeth | London | £10.00 | £10.00 | £11,400 | 513 |
| Camden | London | £10.01 | £9.92 | £11,308 | 244 |
| Wandsworth | London | £10.09 | £9.87 | £11,251 | 472 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | London | £11.00 | £9.82 | £11,194 | 133 |
| Tower Hamlets | London | £9.40 | £9.40 | £10,716 | 261 |
| Hackney | London | £9.00 | £9.00 | £10,260 | 476 |
| Hounslow | London | £8.50 | £8.50 | £9,690 | 361 |
| Islington | London | £9.44 | £8.50 | £9,690 | 314 |
| Barnet | London | £9.00 | £8.50 | £9,690 | 548 |
| Brent | London | £9.00 | £8.50 | £9,690 | 391 |
| Newham | London | £8.50 | £8.50 | £9,690 | 451 |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | £8.00 | £8.40 | £9,576 | 249 |
| Merton | London | £8.00 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 399 |
| Haringey | London | £9.50 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 458 |
| Harrow | London | £9.00 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 301 |
| Enfield | London | £9.00 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 648 |
| Southwark | London | £8.25 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 540 |
| Waltham Forest | London | £8.00 | £8.00 | £9,120 | 426 |
| Greenwich | London | £8.20 | £7.72 | £8,800 | 656 |
| Lewisham | London | £8.00 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 634 |
| Hillingdon | London | £8.00 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 381 |
| Bromley | London | £7.50 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 627 |
| Barking and Dagenham | London | £7.50 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 479 |
| Croydon | London | £7.50 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 677 |
| Ealing | London | £8.67 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 466 |
| Surrey | South East | £8.00 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 1,896 |
| Sutton | London | £7.50 | £7.50 | £8,550 | 350 |
| Redbridge | London | £8.00 | £7.40 | £8,436 | 420 |
| Salford | North West | £7.20 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 305 |
| Sandwell | West Midlands | £6.50 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 242 |
| Slough | South East | £7.50 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 142 |
| Milton Keynes | South East | £6.60 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 388 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | £7.50 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 215 |
| Wokingham | South East | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 281 |
| Buckinghamshire | South East | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 869 |
| Havering | London | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 396 |
| Hertfordshire | East of England | £7.09 | £7.00 | £7,980 | 1,937 |
| Bedford | East of England | £7.00 | £6.90 | £7,866 | 202 |
| West Sussex | South East | £7.00 | £6.87 | £7,831 | 1,040 |
| Bexley | London | £7.00 | £6.82 | £7,774 | 486 |
| Brighton and Hove | South East | £7.00 | £6.70 | £7,638 | 264 |
| Reading | South East | £7.00 | £6.70 | £7,638 | 198 |
| South Gloucestershire | South West | £7.20 | £6.70 | £7,638 | 352 |
| Sefton | North West | £6.50 | £6.66 | £7,592 | 165 |
| Rutland | East Midlands | – | £6.50 | £7,410 | 30 |
| Oxfordshire | South East | £7.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 841 |
| Portsmouth | South East | £6.90 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 180 |
| Walsall | West Midlands | £6.67 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 169 |
| West Berkshire | South East | £6.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 208 |
| Thurrock | East of England | £6.60 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 278 |
| Bracknell Forest | South East | £6.50 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 227 |
| Derby | East Midlands | £6.50 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 224 |
| Central Bedfordshire | East of England | £7.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 475 |
| Cheshire East | North West | £6.86 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 309 |
| Essex | East of England | £7.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 1,712 |
| Kent | South East | £7.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 1,806 |
| Middlesbrough | North East | – | £6.50 | £7,410 | 87 |
| Luton | East of England | £6.70 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 196 |
| Manchester | North West | £7.00 | £6.50 | £7,410 | 577 |
| East Sussex | South East | £6.50 | £6.30 | £7,182 | 429 |
| Cambridgeshire | East of England | £6.70 | £6.30 | £7,182 | 888 |
| Coventry | West Midlands | £6.50 | £6.20 | £7,068 | 290 |
| Hampshire | South East | £6.50 | £6.20 | £7,068 | 1,885 |
| Nottingham | East Midlands | £7.00 | £6.20 | £7,068 | 245 |
| Peterborough | East of England | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 254 |
| Plymouth | South West | £6.91 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 162 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 207 |
| North Somerset | South West | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 269 |
| North Tyneside | North East | £6.30 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 165 |
| Southampton | South East | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 228 |
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.80 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 418 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | North East | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 116 |
| Torbay | South West | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 103 |
| Trafford | North West | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 316 |
| Suffolk | East of England | £6.33 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 604 |
| Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | £6.30 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 144 |
| Swindon | South West | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 244 |
| Staffordshire | West Midlands | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 721 |
| West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 478 |
| Warrington | North West | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 213 |
| Warwickshire | West Midlands | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 583 |
| Wirral | North West | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 255 |
| Worcestershire | West Midlands | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 465 |
| Isle of Wight | South East | £6.20 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 81 |
| Halton | North West | £6.70 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 112 |
| Gateshead | North East | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 146 |
| Gloucestershire | South West | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 653 |
| Leicester | East Midlands | £7.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 243 |
| Leicestershire | East Midlands | £6.15 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 743 |
| Dorset | South West | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 297 |
| Dudley | West Midlands | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 197 |
| Birmingham | West Midlands | £6.50 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 969 |
| Barnsley | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.00 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 255 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | South West | £6.10 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 231 |
| Wiltshire | South West | £6.20 | £6.00 | £6,840 | 628 |
| Bolton | North West | £6.00 | £5.85 | £6,669 | 248 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | North West | £6.00 | £5.80 | £6,612 | 306 |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | £6.00 | £5.80 | £6,612 | 159 |
| North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.00 | £5.80 | £6,612 | 543 |
| Lincolnshire | East Midlands | £6.00 | £5.75 | £6,555 | 625 |
| Bury | North West | £7.00 | £5.71 | £6,509 | 173 |
| North Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £6.15 | £5.63 | £6,418 | 401 |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.30 | £5.62 | £6,406 | 140 |
| Somerset | South West | £6.00 | £5.60 | £6,384 | 468 |
| Cornwall | South West | £6.20 | £5.60 | £6,384 | 408 |
| Devon | South West | £6.00 | £5.56 | £6,338 | 761 |
| Knowsley | North West | £6.59 | £5.56 | £6,338 | 111 |
| Nottinghamshire | East Midlands | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 801 |
| Norfolk | East of England | £5.66 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 627 |
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 109 |
| South Tyneside | North East | £7.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 89 |
| Rochdale | North West | £5.75 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 262 |
| Shropshire | West Midlands | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 221 |
| York | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.83 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 205 |
| Wigan | North West | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 256 |
| Stockport | North West | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 348 |
| Wakefield | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 306 |
| Derbyshire | East Midlands | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 662 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 274 |
| Cumberland | North West | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 138 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | North West | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 123 |
| Liverpool | North West | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 323 |
| Medway | South East | £6.00 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 346 |
| Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 411 |
| Lancashire | North West | £5.80 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 1,043 |
| Leeds | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6,270 | 847 |
| Oldham | North West | £5.50 | £5.33 | £6,076 | 302 |
| Westmorland and Furness | North West | £5.75 | £5.30 | £6,042 | 118 |
| Doncaster | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.25 | £5.25 | £5,985 | 311 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | £6.00 | £5.20 | £5,928 | 141 |
| Northumberland | North East | £5.50 | £5.20 | £5,928 | 210 |
| Sunderland | North East | £6.00 | £5.04 | £5,745 | 118 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | North East | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 153 |
| Tameside | North West | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 246 |
| Rotherham | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 228 |
| Solihull | West Midlands | £6.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 222 |
| Darlington | North East | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 86 |
| Blackpool | North West | £6.00 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 74 |
| Calderdale | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.50 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 196 |
| Bradford | Yorkshire and The Humber | £5.75 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 460 |
| Hartlepool | North East | £5.50 | £5.00 | £5,700 | 61 |
Why the funded hours are worth more in some places. The government pays councils a set rate per funded hour, and in expensive areas that rate is further below what nurseries charge. The column above shows what 30 hours over 38 weeks would cost you at the local median if you were paying for it yourself, which is roughly what the entitlement is worth to you. How the schemes work.