Checked
Child Care Businesses in Minnesota
Counts by county from the U.S. Census Bureau. No provider names or addresses.
- Centers with employees (2023)
- 1,473
- Child care workers
- 20,373
- Average yearly pay
- $29,990
- Self-employed providers (2024)
- 9,442
- 19.0 businesses per 10,000 residents
Child care by county
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| County | Centers | Workers | Self-employed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County | None reported | Not reported | 23 | 14.3 |
| Anoka County | 84 | 1,344 | 527 | 16.5 |
| Becker County | 3 | 4 | 98 | 28.6 |
| Beltrami County | 7 | 47 | 107 | 24.5 |
| Benton County | 12 | 141 | 132 | 34.6 |
| Big Stone County | None reported | Not reported | 23 | 44.9 |
| Blue Earth County | 19 | 375 | 107 | 18.0 |
| Brown County | 6 | 63 | 86 | 35.7 |
| Carlton County | 9 | 112 | 51 | 16.4 |
| Carver County | 37 | 646 | 152 | 17.2 |
| Cass County | 6 | 43 | 58 | 20.7 |
| Chippewa County | 3 | 3 | 30 | 26.7 |
| Chisago County | 14 | 148 | 78 | 15.9 |
| Clay County | 8 | 155 | 180 | 28.5 |
| Clearwater County | None reported | Not reported | 21 | 24.4 |
| Cook County | None reported | Not reported | 7 | 12.4 |
| Cottonwood County | 3 | 10 | 30 | 28.8 |
| Crow Wing County | 11 | 170 | 100 | 16.4 |
| Dakota County | 137 | 2,023 | 638 | 17.4 |
| Dodge County | 6 | 50 | 59 | 30.9 |
| Douglas County | 9 | 184 | 129 | 34.9 |
| Faribault County | None reported | Not reported | 24 | 17.2 |
| Fillmore County | None reported | Not reported | 38 | 17.7 |
| Freeborn County | 6 | 40 | 59 | 21.2 |
| Goodhue County | 8 | 83 | 88 | 20.0 |
| Grant County | None reported | Not reported | 22 | 35.9 |
| Hennepin County | 447 | 6,828 | 1,351 | 14.2 |
| Houston County | 4 | 57 | 49 | 28.4 |
| Hubbard County | 3 | 35 | 56 | 27.0 |
| Isanti County | 7 | 126 | 48 | 12.9 |
| Itasca County | 11 | 60 | 80 | 20.1 |
| Jackson County | 5 | 29 | 22 | 27.2 |
| Kanabec County | None reported | Not reported | 26 | 15.9 |
| Kandiyohi County | 8 | 54 | 91 | 22.5 |
| Kittson County | None reported | Not reported | 19 | 46.5 |
| Koochiching County | 3 | 17 | 24 | 22.8 |
| Lac qui Parle County | None reported | Not reported | 19 | 28.4 |
| Lake County | None reported | Not reported | 14 | 12.9 |
| Lake of the Woods County | None reported | Not reported | 12 | 31.4 |
| Le Sueur County | 6 | 28 | 87 | 31.9 |
| Lincoln County | None reported | Not reported | 26 | 46.4 |
| Lyon County | 13 | 122 | 82 | 37.3 |
| Mahnomen County | None reported | Not reported | 17 | 31.7 |
| Marshall County | None reported | Not reported | 33 | 37.0 |
| Martin County | None reported | Not reported | 63 | 31.9 |
| McLeod County | 7 | 52 | 82 | 24.2 |
| Meeker County | 3 | 51 | 47 | 21.3 |
| Mille Lacs County | 7 | 79 | 45 | 19.2 |
| Morrison County | 6 | 20 | 114 | 35.0 |
| Mower County | 4 | 79 | 77 | 20.1 |
| Murray County | None reported | Not reported | 29 | 35.8 |
| Nicollet County | 11 | 173 | 54 | 18.9 |
| Nobles County | 3 | 31 | 47 | 22.7 |
| Norman County | None reported | Not reported | 13 | 20.4 |
| Olmsted County | 53 | 799 | 367 | 25.5 |
| Otter Tail County | 8 | 48 | 167 | 28.9 |
| Pennington County | None reported | Not reported | 50 | 36.3 |
| Pine County | 5 | 20 | 37 | 14.2 |
| Pipestone County | 3 | 15 | 39 | 45.2 |
| Polk County | 6 | 91 | 88 | 30.6 |
| Pope County | None reported | Not reported | 34 | 29.8 |
| Ramsey County | 131 | 1,719 | 565 | 12.8 |
| Red Lake County | None reported | Not reported | 10 | 25.5 |
| Redwood County | 4 | 8 | 50 | 35.2 |
| Renville County | 4 | 24 | 29 | 22.7 |
| Rice County | 13 | 155 | 97 | 16.2 |
| Rock County | None reported | Not reported | 35 | 36.4 |
| Roseau County | None reported | Not reported | 59 | 38.6 |
| Scott County | 43 | 603 | 267 | 20.1 |
| Sherburne County | 22 | 195 | 211 | 23.2 |
| Sibley County | 4 | 7 | 32 | 24.0 |
| St. Louis County | 40 | 431 | 192 | 11.6 |
| Stearns County | 49 | 637 | 381 | 26.7 |
| Steele County | 6 | 128 | 110 | 31.0 |
| Stevens County | 3 | 29 | 27 | 30.8 |
| Swift County | None reported | Not reported | 27 | 27.7 |
| Todd County | 6 | 19 | 73 | 30.9 |
| Traverse County | None reported | Not reported | 12 | 37.0 |
| Wabasha County | 4 | 13 | 81 | 39.4 |
| Wadena County | None reported | Not reported | 21 | 14.7 |
| Waseca County | 3 | 22 | 41 | 23.3 |
| Washington County | 66 | 1,083 | 360 | 15.4 |
| Watonwan County | None reported | Not reported | 18 | 16.1 |
| Wilkin County | None reported | Not reported | 26 | 40.8 |
| Winona County | 6 | 57 | 92 | 19.7 |
| Wright County | 28 | 531 | 321 | 23.5 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 3 | 18 | 29 | 33.9 |
The Census Bureau adds noise to worker counts in small counties to protect business privacy, and leaves out counts it cannot publish. Counties with no centers that have employees show "None reported".
Frequently asked questions
- How many child care centers are in Minnesota?
- Minnesota had 1,473 child day care businesses with paid employees in 2023, employing 20,373 people. Another 9,442 providers worked on their own in 2024.
- Which Minnesota counties have the most child care centers?
- Hennepin County (447), Dakota County (137), Ramsey County (131) have the most centers with paid employees.
- How do I find a licensed child care provider in Minnesota?
- Minnesota licenses child care providers. Use the state's official provider search, which you can reach from childcare.gov.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns and Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 624410) · 2023 and 2024 data
Share: