Daycare and child care in New Hampshire
Every licensed program in the state, 717 programs in 151 towns, with the prices and openings they report. 385 of them take infants.
- Licensed programs
- 717
- 617 centers · 100 home-based
- Take babies under 1
- 385
- 87 with an infant opening, last 60 days
- Children under 5
- 62,800
- Census estimate, 2020–2024
- Children under 5 per spot
- 1.8
- Statewide; each town shows its own
Towns to know
From the state’s records as of Nov 1, 2026 and the Census (2020–2024). Spot figures cover towns with 3+ programs.
Most infant openings
Programs with an open infant spot in the last 60 days
Fewest spots for young children
Children under 5 per licensed spot within 10 miles
- New Ipswich5.5
- Peterborough4.3
- Jaffrey4.1
Most room for young children
Children under 5 per licensed spot within 10 miles
- Allenstown0.7
- Conway0.8
- Amherst1.1
Child care in New Hampshire, by the numbers
What care costs
The middle of the monthly prices from the 290 of New Hampshire’s 717 programs that show a price on the state’s search. Half charge more, half less.
Prices in every townHelp paying
$129,693a year, family of four
Families earning less than this may qualify for NH Child Care Scholarship, which helps pay for child care. 588 programs say they take it.
Limits from Jul 1, 2026. Other family sizes are on the guide.
Income limits and how to applyRoom for young children, by county
Children under 5 (Census estimate, 2020–2024) for every licensed spot at programs that take them. New Hampshire overall: 1.8. A higher number means fewer spots for each child.
How to find child care in New Hampshire
- 01Search by town and age
Start with the search above. It has every licensed program in New Hampshire, with the openings and prices they report to the state.
- 02Call five or six programs
Ask whether they have room for your child’s age, how the waitlist works and whether there’s a fee to join. Many programs don’t report openings, so a call is the surest way to know.
- 03Check the state’s records
Each program page lists the state’s inspection visits for the last three years, with a link to the full reports.
- 04See if you qualify for help
NH Child Care Scholarship: a family of four earning less than $129,693 a year may qualify.
Questions about child care in New Hampshire
How many licensed child care programs are in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire has 717 licensed child care programs in 151 towns: 617 centers and 100 home-based programs, as of Nov 1, 2026. 385 of them take babies under 1.
How much does daycare cost in New Hampshire?
Among the 290 programs that show a price on the state’s search, the typical (middle) price is about $1,517 a month for an infant, $1,387 for a toddler, $1,278 for a preschooler, $793 for a school-age child. Prices vary a lot from town to town.
Do daycares in New Hampshire have openings?
87 of the 385 programs that take babies reported an open infant spot in the 60 days before Nov 1, 2026. Programs can report openings to the state, and many don’t, so calling is still the surest way to know. There are about 1.8 children under 5 for every licensed spot in New Hampshire (Census, 2020–2024), so waitlists are common, especially for babies.
Which towns in New Hampshire have the most infant openings?
In the 60 days before Nov 1, 2026, the most programs reporting an open infant spot to the state were in Nashua (8 of the 20 that take infants), Manchester (7 of the 22 that take infants) and Merrimack (6 of the 14 that take infants). Openings fill quickly, so call to confirm.
Where is child care hardest to find in New Hampshire?
Counting licensed spots, it’s tightest around New Ipswich, Peterborough and Jaffrey, with 5.5, 4.3 and 4.1 children under 5 for every licensed spot within 10 miles, against 1.8 across New Hampshire. There’s the most room around Allenstown (0.7) and Conway (0.8). These compare Census estimates of young children (2020–2024) with the spots programs are licensed for; they don’t measure waitlists.
Is there help paying for child care in New Hampshire?
Yes. NH Child Care Scholarship helps families pay for child care. A family of four earning less than $129,693 a year may qualify (limits from Jul 1, 2026). 588 programs say they take it.
How do I check a daycare’s inspection record in New Hampshire?
Every program page here lists the state’s inspection visits for the last three years, with how many reviewed areas were in compliance, and links to the full visit reports on NH Child Care Search.
Who can help me find child care in New Hampshire?
Child Care Aware of New Hampshire offers free help finding care: call 1-855-393-1731. You can also search every licensed program here by town, age and price.
Browse by town
Belknap County
Carroll County
Cheshire County
- Alstead 1
- Chesterfield 1
- Dublin 1
- Harrisville 1
- Hinsdale 3
- Jaffrey 3
- Keene 18
- Nelson 1
- Rindge 1
- Swanzey 4
- Walpole 2
- Winchester 2
Coos County
Grafton County
Hillsborough County
- Amherst 7
- Antrim 1
- Bedford 17
- Brookline 4
- Goffstown 10
- Hillsborough 2
- Hollis 5
- Hudson 14
- Litchfield 4
- Lyndeborough 1
- Manchester 42
- Mason 1
- Merrimack 18
- Milford 8
- Nashua 39
- New Boston 3
- New Ipswich 3
- Pelham 6
- Peterborough 4
- Weare 6
- Wilton 3
Merrimack County
- Allenstown 4
- Andover 4
- Boscawen 2
- Bow 5
- Bradford 2
- Canterbury 3
- Concord 24
- Dunbarton 1
- Epsom 5
- Franklin 7
- Henniker 3
- Hooksett 14
- Hopkinton 2
- Loudon 1
- New London 6
- Northfield 1
- Pembroke 5
- Pittsfield 3
- Sutton 1
- Warner 2
- Webster 1
- Wilmot 1
Rockingham County
- Atkinson 3
- Auburn 5
- Brentwood 3
- Candia 2
- Chester 3
- Danville 2
- Deerfield 1
- Derry 16
- East Kingston 1
- Epping 5
- Exeter 9
- Fremont 3
- Greenland 2
- Hampstead 6
- Hampton 5
- Hampton Falls 1
- Kensington 2
- Kingston 4
- Londonderry 24
- Newmarket 3
- Newton 3
- North Hampton 2
- Northwood 2
- Nottingham 3
- Plaistow 6
- Portsmouth 12
- Raymond 3
- Rye 1
- Salem 21
- Sandown 2
- Seabrook 1
- Stratham 5
- Windham 12
Strafford County
- Barrington 6
- Dover 17
- Durham 3
- Farmington 4
- Lee 4
- Madbury 2
- Middleton 1
- Milton 1
- New Durham 1
- Rochester 16
- Somersworth 8
- Strafford 2
From NH Child Care Search (New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services), retrieved Nov 1, 2026. Programs supply and maintain some of this information themselves, and the state does not verify it. Always confirm details with the program.