Market rankings · New York
Child care centers and preschools in New York
Markets across New York ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 4,416
- 306 chain locations (7%)
- Official establishments
- 6,702
- +6.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $5.3B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.7
- 2% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.2M
- 19% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #26 of 51
- Market score 50 · Upper middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in New York 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 4,416 child care centers and preschools in New York. Chain locations make up 7% of them, against 12% across the U.S. That is 5.7 per 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Household spending on child care and other personal services in New York comes to about $5.3B a year: $684 per household, 18% above the U.S. average. That is about $1.2M of household spending for each center on map listings, 19% above the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 6,702 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in New York in 2023, up 6.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,150 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, 216 SBA-backed loans worth $116.8M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in New York.
Among the 50 states and DC, New York ranks #26 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 50 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in New York, the Binghamton metro area scores highest (67). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in New York, the Monticello area scores highest (90).
Every market in New York for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in New York, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Binghamton, NY | 67 | 31 | 3.0 | $1.6M | −1.3% | #69 of 387 |
| 2Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 60 | 210 | 4.2 | $1.3M | −0.8% | #116 of 387 |
| 3Utica-Rome, NY | 58 | 49 | 4.1 | $1.2M | −2.0% | #134 of 387 |
| 4Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 58 | 207 | 5.4 | $1.2M | +1.9% | #135 of 387 |
| 5Syracuse, NY | 57 | 122 | 4.5 | $1.2M | −1.3% | #144 of 387 |
| 6Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 57 | 19 | 4.0 | $1.1M | −3.9% | #145 of 387 |
| 7New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 55 | 4,815 | 6.5 | $1.2M | +0.6% | #162 of 387 |
| 8Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 55 | 182 | 7.1 | $1M | +3.0% | #164 of 387 |
| 9Rochester, NY | 54 | 211 | 4.7 | $1.2M | −0.7% | #170 of 387 |
| 10Elmira, NY | 51 | 16 | 4.5 | $998K | −3.9% | #186 of 387 |
| 11Kingston, NY | 44 | 55 | 7.4 | $876K | +1.1% | #239 of 387 |
| 12Ithaca, NY | 42 | 24 | 5.5 | $1.1M | −1.4% | #252 of 387 |
| 13Glens Falls, NY | 33 | 34 | 6.2 | $839K | −1.9% | #307 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Monticello, NY | 90 | 11 | 3.5 | $1.6M | +2.7% | #1 of 454 |
| 2Oneonta, NY | 76 | 14 | 6.0 | $789K | +3.8% | #37 of 454 |
| 3Auburn, NY | 75 | 6 | 1.9 | $2.5M | −2.3% | #38 of 454 |
| 4Cortland, NY | 75 | 6 | 3.2 | $1.5M | −1.9% | #42 of 454 |
| 5Jamestown-Dunkirk, NY | 69 | 19 | 3.6 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #80 of 454 |
| 6Batavia, NY | 68 | 12 | 4.8 | $997K | +0.2% | #90 of 454 |
| 7Hudson, NY | 67 | 11 | 4.1 | $1.6M | −2.1% | #94 of 454 |
| 8Amsterdam, NY | 67 | 9 | 4.6 | $994K | +1.1% | #98 of 454 |
| 9Olean, NY | 66 | 9 | 2.8 | $1.4M | −2.1% | #103 of 454 |
| 10Gloversville, NY | 60 | 9 | 3.9 | $1.1M | −1.6% | #142 of 454 |
| 11Corning, NY | 54 | 17 | 4.3 | $1.1M | −1.6% | #195 of 454 |
| 12Massena-Ogdensburg, NY | 53 | 18 | 4.3 | $1M | −2.5% | #203 of 454 |
| 13Plattsburgh, NY | 52 | 15 | 4.5 | $1.1M | −2.0% | #207 of 454 |
| Seneca Falls, NY | Not scored | 3 | 2.2 | $2.1M | −1.7% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sullivan County, NY | 84 | 11 | 3.5 | $1.6M | +2.7% | #46 of 1,611 |
| 2Ontario County, NY | 77 | 21 | 4.3 | $1.3M | +0.6% | #129 of 1,611 |
| 3Cayuga County, NY | 72 | 6 | 1.9 | $2.5M | −2.3% | #206 of 1,611 |
| 4Cortland County, NY | 71 | 6 | 3.2 | $1.5M | −1.9% | #229 of 1,611 |
| 5Oswego County, NY | 70 | 16 | 3.4 | $1.4M | +1.0% | #252 of 1,611 |
| 6Niagara County, NY | 69 | 34 | 3.7 | $1.3M | −1.5% | #278 of 1,611 |
| 7Otsego County, NY | 67 | 14 | 6.0 | $789K | +3.8% | #349 of 1,611 |
| 8Herkimer County, NY | 66 | 7 | 2.7 | $1.7M | −1.4% | #352 of 1,611 |
| 9Columbia County, NY | 65 | 11 | 4.1 | $1.6M | −2.1% | #381 of 1,611 |
| 10Suffolk County, NY | 65 | 321 | 6.5 | $1.4M | +1.6% | #385 of 1,611 |
| 11Saratoga County, NY | 65 | 57 | 5.6 | $1.3M | +2.3% | #386 of 1,611 |
| 12New York County, NY | 64 | 386 | 5.0 | $1.8M | −1.3% | #415 of 1,611 |
| 13Broome County, NY | 64 | 29 | 3.5 | $1.3M | −1.2% | #417 of 1,611 |
| 14Albany County, NY | 64 | 68 | 5.0 | $1.2M | +2.2% | #420 of 1,611 |
| 15Greene County, NY | 63 | 8 | 4.3 | $1.3M | −1.1% | #446 of 1,611 |
| 16Chautauqua County, NY | 63 | 19 | 3.6 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #448 of 1,611 |
| 17Genesee County, NY | 63 | 12 | 4.8 | $997K | +0.2% | #456 of 1,611 |
| 18Cattaraugus County, NY | 62 | 9 | 2.8 | $1.4M | −2.1% | #472 of 1,611 |
| 19Orleans County, NY | 62 | 6 | 3.7 | $1.2M | −0.5% | #481 of 1,611 |
| 20Rockland County, NY | 62 | 78 | 7.5 | $1.1M | +5.9% | #483 of 1,611 |
| 21Erie County, NY | 61 | 176 | 4.3 | $1.3M | −0.6% | #501 of 1,611 |
| 22Richmond County, NY | 61 | 102 | 6.0 | $1.2M | +1.3% | #504 of 1,611 |
| 23Franklin County, NY | 61 | 7 | 3.6 | $1.2M | −1.6% | #506 of 1,611 |
| 24Montgomery County, NY | 61 | 9 | 4.6 | $994K | +1.1% | #519 of 1,611 |
| 25Westchester County, NY | 60 | 267 | 7.2 | $1.3M | +1.4% | #531 of 1,611 |
Show all 62 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Putnam County, NY | 60 | 26 | 7.3 | $1.2M | +1.4% | #532 of 1,611 |
| 27Orange County, NY | 60 | 97 | 7.0 | $1M | +4.2% | #541 of 1,611 |
| 28Madison County, NY | 59 | 10 | 3.8 | $1.4M | −1.2% | #563 of 1,611 |
| 29Rensselaer County, NY | 59 | 33 | 4.9 | $1.2M | −0.2% | #565 of 1,611 |
| 30Onondaga County, NY | 58 | 96 | 4.9 | $1.2M | −1.9% | #595 of 1,611 |
| 31Jefferson County, NY | 58 | 19 | 4.0 | $1.1M | −3.9% | #596 of 1,611 |
| 32Oneida County, NY | 58 | 42 | 4.4 | $1.1M | −2.1% | #598 of 1,611 |
| 33Nassau County, NY | 57 | 376 | 8.2 | $1.3M | +0.6% | #620 of 1,611 |
| 34Livingston County, NY | 56 | 12 | 4.9 | $1M | −0.2% | #651 of 1,611 |
| 35Dutchess County, NY | 56 | 85 | 7.3 | $1M | +1.5% | #654 of 1,611 |
| 36Wayne County, NY | 56 | 19 | 4.9 | $994K | +0.1% | #657 of 1,611 |
| 37Monroe County, NY | 55 | 153 | 4.8 | $1.2M | −1.0% | #676 of 1,611 |
| 38Fulton County, NY | 55 | 9 | 3.9 | $1.1M | −1.6% | #677 of 1,611 |
| 39Chemung County, NY | 54 | 16 | 4.5 | $998K | −3.9% | #710 of 1,611 |
| 40Queens County, NY | 53 | 461 | 5.5 | $1.2M | −1.1% | #740 of 1,611 |
| 41Schenectady County, NY | 53 | 45 | 6.7 | $868K | +3.0% | #749 of 1,611 |
| 42Ulster County, NY | 50 | 55 | 7.4 | $876K | +1.1% | #823 of 1,611 |
| 43Steuben County, NY | 49 | 17 | 4.3 | $1.1M | −1.6% | #837 of 1,611 |
| 44Clinton County, NY | 47 | 15 | 4.5 | $1.1M | −2.0% | #885 of 1,611 |
| 45St. Lawrence County, NY | 47 | 18 | 4.3 | $1M | −2.5% | #888 of 1,611 |
| 46Tompkins County, NY | 46 | 24 | 5.5 | $1.1M | −1.4% | #914 of 1,611 |
| 47Kings County, NY | 46 | 644 | 6.4 | $1.1M | −2.5% | #915 of 1,611 |
| 48Warren County, NY | 44 | 23 | 7.6 | $744K | −0.9% | #978 of 1,611 |
| 49Essex County, NY | 43 | 8 | 4.9 | $1M | −2.2% | #996 of 1,611 |
| 50Washington County, NY | 43 | 11 | 4.5 | $1M | −2.9% | #997 of 1,611 |
| 51Delaware County, NY | 35 | 13 | 6.8 | $691K | +0.2% | #1,213 of 1,611 |
| 52Chenango County, NY | 33 | 10 | 5.0 | $817K | −2.9% | #1,262 of 1,611 |
| 53Bronx County, NY | 20 | 378 | 7.1 | $609K | −3.8% | #1,478 of 1,611 |
| Tioga County, NY | Not scored | 2 | 1.0 | $5.2M | −1.9% | |
| Allegany County, NY | Not scored | 3 | 1.7 | $2.5M | +0.9% | |
| Wyoming County, NY | Not scored | 3 | 1.8 | $2.5M | −1.3% | |
| Seneca County, NY | Not scored | 3 | 2.2 | $2.1M | −1.7% | |
| Schoharie County, NY | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $1.6M | +1.4% | |
| Lewis County, NY | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $2.4M | −0.3% | |
| Yates County, NY | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $2.5M | −0.8% | |
| Schuyler County, NY | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $1.8M | −5.3% | |
| Hamilton County, NY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.3% |
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 New York?
There are 4,416 child care centers and preschools on map listings in New York as of September 2026. 306 of them (7%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 6,702 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 6.0% from 2019. Official counts list 43,004 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in New York spend on child care and other personal services?
About $5.3B a year, or $684 per household. That is 18% above the U.S. average (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,416 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $1.2M per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 7,704,486 households in New York and national spending patterns by income.
How does New York compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
New York has 5.7 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $1.2M, 19% above the U.S. figure of $1M. At the national ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, New York would have about 5,261, against 4,416 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,150 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in New York has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in New York, the Binghamton metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in New York, the Monticello area scores highest, at 90 (very high). Among 53 scored counties in New York, Sullivan County scores highest, at 84 (high). 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. New York scores 50 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #26 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 New York. 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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in New York
Screening a site or an acquisition in New York?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.