Market rankings · Indiana
Child care centers and preschools in Indiana
Markets across Indiana ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,609
- 179 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 1,435
- +2.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.1B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.9
- 2% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $668K
- 33% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #41 of 51
- Market score 34 · Lower middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Indiana by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,609 child care centers and preschools in Indiana. Chain locations make up 11% of them, against 12% across the U.S. That is 5.9 per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
At $396 per household (32% below the U.S. average), households in Indiana spend about $1.1B a year on child care and other personal services. That works out to $668K per center, 33% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 1,435 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Indiana in 2023, up 2.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,893 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 59 SBA-backed loans worth $61.7M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Indiana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Indiana ranks #41 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 34 (lower middle). Of the 15 scored metro areas in or partly in Indiana, the Kokomo metro area scores highest (49). Of the 18 scored small-town markets in or partly in Indiana, the Jasper area scores highest (67).
Every market in Indiana for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Indiana, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kokomo, IN | 49 | 9 | 2.5 | $1.3M | +0.4% | #197 of 387 |
| 2Columbus, IN | 48 | 19 | 5.7 | $773K | +4.3% | #212 of 387 |
| 3Bloomington, IN | 46 | 31 | 4.6 | $839K | +2.0% | #227 of 387 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 46 | 306 | 5.5 | $820K | +2.9% | #228 of 387 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 43 | 2,035 | 5.6 | $953K | 0.0% | #246 of 387 |
| 4Fort Wayne, IN | 42 | 101 | 5.5 | $685K | +3.9% | #256 of 387 |
| 5Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 41 | 33 | 4.6 | $800K | +0.9% | #259 of 387 |
| 6Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 40 | 581 | 6.9 | $665K | +5.4% | #270 of 387 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 39 | 546 | 6.0 | $787K | +2.7% | #272 of 387 |
| 7Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 33 | 56 | 6.2 | $582K | +2.1% | #313 of 387 |
| 8Evansville, IN | 29 | 62 | 5.4 | $697K | +1.6% | #333 of 387 |
| 9South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 29 | 71 | 5.5 | $688K | +0.1% | #335 of 387 |
| 10Muncie, IN | 26 | 29 | 6.3 | $482K | +1.2% | #354 of 387 |
| 11Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 22 | 25 | 5.7 | $648K | −0.9% | #368 of 387 |
| 12Terre Haute, IN | 8 | 56 | 8.3 | $383K | +0.3% | #386 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Jasper, IN | 67 | 8 | 4.6 | $903K | +0.9% | #99 of 454 |
| 2Kendallville, IN | 63 | 7 | 3.9 | $915K | +1.0% | #123 of 454 |
| 3Auburn, IN | 62 | 7 | 4.1 | $882K | +2.9% | #131 of 454 |
| 4New Castle, IN | 60 | 6 | 3.2 | $977K | +0.5% | #145 of 454 |
| 5Bedford, IN | 55 | 10 | 5.2 | $653K | +1.2% | #191 of 454 |
| 6Washington, IN | 52 | 5 | 4.2 | $852K | +2.5% | #213 of 454 |
| 7Angola, IN | 52 | 9 | 6.4 | $585K | +1.0% | #221 of 454 |
| 8Seymour, IN | 51 | 9 | 5.0 | $728K | +1.9% | #226 of 454 |
| 9Huntington, IN | 45 | 6 | 3.9 | $847K | +1.6% | #273 of 454 |
| 10Richmond, IN | 44 | 14 | 5.2 | $609K | −0.5% | #284 of 454 |
| 11Warsaw, IN | 44 | 26 | 8.1 | $466K | +0.9% | #288 of 454 |
| 12Crawfordsville, IN | 43 | 12 | 7.7 | $467K | +2.7% | #297 of 454 |
| 13Logansport, IN | 38 | 8 | 5.3 | $543K | +0.1% | #329 of 454 |
| 14Vincennes, IN | 36 | 6 | 4.0 | $877K | −1.7% | #344 of 454 |
| 15Madison, IN | 35 | 8 | 6.3 | $536K | +0.6% | #355 of 454 |
| 16Marion, IN | 32 | 18 | 6.7 | $426K | 0.0% | #372 of 454 |
| 17Plymouth, IN | 26 | 18 | 10.1 | $347K | +1.2% | #405 of 454 |
| 18Connersville, IN | 23 | 6 | 6.4 | $486K | +0.7% | #412 of 454 |
| Greencastle, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $1.8M | +3.2% | |
| Decatur, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $2.1M | +2.2% | |
| Peru, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $2.1M | −3.9% | |
| Frankfort, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $1M | +0.4% | |
| Wabash, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $1.1M | −0.7% | |
| Greensburg, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $2.1M | +0.4% | |
| Monticello, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $866K | +2.0% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Boone County, IN | 73 | 17 | 5.9 | $1.1M | +13.5% | #202 of 1,611 |
| 2Clark County, IN | 69 | 18 | 3.5 | $1.1M | +7.5% | #292 of 1,611 |
| 3Hancock County, IN | 69 | 20 | 6.0 | $832K | +13.5% | #302 of 1,611 |
| 4Morgan County, IN | 65 | 11 | 3.9 | $1.1M | +4.4% | #396 of 1,611 |
| 5Hamilton County, IN | 64 | 104 | 7.6 | $894K | +10.9% | #436 of 1,611 |
| 6Johnson County, IN | 64 | 39 | 6.2 | $766K | +7.4% | #441 of 1,611 |
| 7Warrick County, IN | 63 | 11 | 4.4 | $1.1M | +4.4% | #452 of 1,611 |
| 8Hendricks County, IN | 63 | 48 | 7.2 | $736K | +10.2% | #469 of 1,611 |
| 9Porter County, IN | 60 | 39 | 5.7 | $818K | +1.6% | #557 of 1,611 |
| 10Dubois County, IN | 59 | 8 | 4.6 | $903K | +0.9% | #577 of 1,611 |
| 11Bartholomew County, IN | 56 | 19 | 5.7 | $773K | +4.3% | #670 of 1,611 |
| 12Henry County, IN | 55 | 6 | 3.2 | $977K | +0.5% | #681 of 1,611 |
| 13Noble County, IN | 55 | 7 | 3.9 | $915K | +1.0% | #687 of 1,611 |
| 14Monroe County, IN | 54 | 28 | 4.7 | $831K | +1.9% | #729 of 1,611 |
| 15Howard County, IN | 53 | 9 | 2.5 | $1.3M | +0.4% | #737 of 1,611 |
| 16Elkhart County, IN | 49 | 33 | 4.6 | $800K | +0.9% | #850 of 1,611 |
| 17DeKalb County, IN | 48 | 7 | 4.1 | $882K | +2.9% | #873 of 1,611 |
| 18Harrison County, IN | 48 | 9 | 5.8 | $616K | +1.9% | #882 of 1,611 |
| 19Allen County, IN | 47 | 95 | 6.1 | $629K | +4.2% | #908 of 1,611 |
| 20Lawrence County, IN | 46 | 10 | 5.2 | $653K | +1.2% | #939 of 1,611 |
| 21Shelby County, IN | 46 | 11 | 6.0 | $639K | +1.8% | #945 of 1,611 |
| 22Steuben County, IN | 44 | 9 | 6.4 | $585K | +1.0% | #991 of 1,611 |
| 23Daviess County, IN | 42 | 5 | 4.2 | $852K | +2.5% | #1,031 of 1,611 |
| 24Jackson County, IN | 42 | 9 | 5.0 | $728K | +1.9% | #1,038 of 1,611 |
| 25Tippecanoe County, IN | 42 | 45 | 5.9 | $606K | +2.2% | #1,052 of 1,611 |
Show all 92 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Madison County, IN | 41 | 30 | 5.6 | $585K | +3.8% | #1,082 of 1,611 |
| 27Wayne County, IN | 40 | 14 | 5.2 | $609K | −0.5% | #1,113 of 1,611 |
| 28Huntington County, IN | 38 | 6 | 3.9 | $847K | +1.6% | #1,137 of 1,611 |
| 29Lake County, IN | 38 | 116 | 5.9 | $677K | +1.1% | #1,148 of 1,611 |
| 30Kosciusko County, IN | 38 | 26 | 8.1 | $466K | +0.9% | #1,156 of 1,611 |
| 31Franklin County, IN | 36 | 6 | 6.5 | $640K | +2.2% | #1,190 of 1,611 |
| 32Montgomery County, IN | 36 | 12 | 7.7 | $467K | +2.7% | #1,200 of 1,611 |
| 33Dearborn County, IN | 35 | 12 | 5.9 | $696K | +1.7% | #1,212 of 1,611 |
| 34Cass County, IN | 35 | 8 | 5.3 | $543K | +0.1% | #1,226 of 1,611 |
| 35St. Joseph County, IN | 34 | 65 | 6.1 | $622K | +0.1% | #1,245 of 1,611 |
| 36LaPorte County, IN | 33 | 25 | 5.7 | $648K | −0.9% | #1,267 of 1,611 |
| 37Vanderburgh County, IN | 32 | 48 | 6.1 | $557K | +0.9% | #1,300 of 1,611 |
| 38Floyd County, IN | 32 | 26 | 8.1 | $543K | +2.0% | #1,301 of 1,611 |
| 39Grant County, IN | 31 | 18 | 6.7 | $426K | 0.0% | #1,325 of 1,611 |
| 40Delaware County, IN | 30 | 29 | 6.3 | $482K | +1.2% | #1,340 of 1,611 |
| 41Tipton County, IN | 30 | 6 | 9.6 | $391K | −0.4% | #1,344 of 1,611 |
| 42Knox County, IN | 29 | 6 | 4.0 | $877K | −1.7% | #1,348 of 1,611 |
| 43Jennings County, IN | 29 | 6 | 5.5 | $585K | +0.1% | #1,354 of 1,611 |
| 44Jefferson County, IN | 29 | 8 | 6.3 | $536K | +0.6% | #1,357 of 1,611 |
| 45Marion County, IN | 28 | 294 | 7.3 | $516K | +1.6% | #1,377 of 1,611 |
| 46Rush County, IN | 28 | 5 | 7.4 | $417K | 0.0% | #1,381 of 1,611 |
| 47Gibson County, IN | 26 | 7 | 5.2 | $674K | +0.1% | #1,401 of 1,611 |
| 48Spencer County, IN | 26 | 5 | 6.2 | $565K | +1.2% | #1,405 of 1,611 |
| 49Clay County, IN | 25 | 8 | 7.6 | $489K | −0.1% | #1,417 of 1,611 |
| 50Ripley County, IN | 23 | 9 | 7.8 | $463K | +1.6% | #1,443 of 1,611 |
| 51Greene County, IN | 22 | 10 | 7.6 | $403K | +1.2% | #1,462 of 1,611 |
| 52Marshall County, IN | 20 | 18 | 10.1 | $347K | +1.2% | #1,490 of 1,611 |
| 53Fayette County, IN | 18 | 6 | 6.4 | $486K | +0.7% | #1,512 of 1,611 |
| 54Perry County, IN | 16 | 6 | 7.7 | $405K | +1.2% | #1,540 of 1,611 |
| 55Jay County, IN | 14 | 6 | 7.7 | $369K | −1.8% | #1,557 of 1,611 |
| 56Vigo County, IN | 13 | 33 | 7.8 | $398K | +0.4% | #1,565 of 1,611 |
| 57Vermillion County, IN | 12 | 6 | 9.1 | $332K | +0.6% | #1,570 of 1,611 |
| 58Pulaski County, IN | 11 | 6 | 12.1 | $281K | −0.4% | #1,578 of 1,611 |
| 59Sullivan County, IN | 8 | 9 | 11.5 | $269K | +0.1% | #1,590 of 1,611 |
| LaGrange County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.3 | $1.8M | +1.9% | |
| Putnam County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $1.8M | +3.2% | |
| Adams County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $2.1M | +2.2% | |
| Miami County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $2.1M | −3.9% | |
| Whitley County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $1.8M | +2.1% | |
| Jasper County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $1.2M | +3.0% | |
| Clinton County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $1M | +0.4% | |
| Wabash County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.2 | $1.1M | −0.7% | |
| Wells County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.6 | $1.3M | +2.6% | |
| Washington County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $1.8M | +0.5% | |
| Decatur County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 1.9 | $2.1M | +0.4% | |
| Posey County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.8 | $1.5M | −0.8% | |
| White County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $866K | +2.0% | |
| Scott County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $779K | +2.8% | |
| Randolph County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 2.9 | $1M | +0.1% | |
| Starke County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $661K | +0.1% | |
| Owen County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 3.5 | $916K | +2.6% | |
| Carroll County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $680K | +1.6% | |
| Fulton County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 3.7 | $908K | −1.9% | |
| Orange County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $656K | −0.1% | |
| Fountain County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 5.8 | $523K | +3.2% | |
| Parke County, IN | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $2M | +3.0% | |
| Brown County, IN | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $2.7M | +1.9% | |
| Newton County, IN | Not scored | 3 | 5.2 | $611K | +2.9% | |
| Pike County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $447K | −2.0% | |
| Blackford County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 7.7 | $394K | −3.1% | |
| Crawford County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 4.4 | $590K | −0.2% | |
| Switzerland County, IN | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.3M | +3.1% | |
| Martin County, IN | Not scored | 4 | 10.2 | $336K | +0.5% | |
| Benton County, IN | Not scored | 6 | 17.4 | $212K | +2.0% | |
| Warren County, IN | Not scored | 1 | 3.0 | $1.3M | +0.6% | |
| Union County, IN | Not scored | 2 | 6.8 | $543K | −3.1% | |
| Ohio County, IN | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Indiana?
There are 1,609 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Indiana as of September 2026. 179 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 1,435 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 2.1% from 2019. Another 8,842 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Indiana spend on child care and other personal services?
About $1.1B a year, or $396 per household. That is 32% below the U.S. average (an index of 68, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,609 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $668K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,716,009 households in Indiana and national spending patterns by income.
How does Indiana compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Indiana has 5.9 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $668K, 33% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the national ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Indiana would have about 1,073, against 1,609 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,893 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Indiana has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 15 scored metro areas in or partly in Indiana, the Kokomo metro area scores highest, at 49 (lower middle). Among 18 scored small-town markets in or partly in Indiana, the Jasper area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 59 scored counties in Indiana, Boone County scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Indiana scores 34 for child care centers and preschools (lower middle), #41 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Indiana. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
All 51 states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Indiana
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.