We recently analyzed dog daycare pricing from thousands of facilities across the country. What we found is a market that’s diverse, regionally influenced, and far from standardized.
This article is a sneak peek into a larger dataset we’ll be releasing soon. For now, we’re sharing some of the national benchmarks and state-level insights that stood out.
Methodology
We reviewed thousands of dog daycare facilities and identified 3,128 locations that listed a base full-day daycare price on their website. This price is always the lowest full-day rate offered, with no memberships, packages, or discounts applied. If pricing varied by dog size or breed, we selected the rate for a small dog to standardize comparisons. We excluded bundled offerings or promotional packages that might artificially raise or lower the apparent cost of a single day of care. We also didn’t include hourly pricing in this study.
We also noted how many facilities listed a price for half-day care or a second-dog discount. Just over 50% included a half-day price, and about 25% listed pricing for a second dog. These numbers reflect published rates only—some facilities may offer these services without listing the price online.
What the National Averages Show
Here’s what we found across the 3,128 facilities:
average price
Full Day
$32.25Half Day
$24.31
median price
Full Day
$31.00Half Day
$24.00
lowest price
Full Day
$5.00Half Day
$5.00
highest price
Full Day
$89.95Half Day
$58.00
standard deviation
Full Day
$9.88Half Day
$7.59On average, half-day is priced at a 25% discount compared to a full day.
Regional Trends and Notable Extremes
- Washington D.C. has the highest average full-day price at $51.17, well above the national average.
- Wyoming lists the lowest average full-day price at $22.73—over 55% lower than D.C.
- New Jersey has the highest maximum half-day price in the country at $58, higher than the full-day maximum in several other states.
- Mississippi and West Virginia are among the most affordable markets, with average full-day rates under $25 and half-day rates under $18.
10 Most Expensive States (avg. price)
Full Day
$51.17Half Day
$36.29dc
Full Day
$42.94Half Day
$32.11new jersey
Full Day
$40.05Half Day
$31.87california
Full Day
$41.59Half Day
$28.00hawaii
Full Day
$39.66Half Day
$31.49new york
Full Day
$39.47Half Day
$28.35Massachusetts
Full Day
$38.23Half Day
$29.31Washington
Full Day
$37.94Half Day
$29.60alaska
Full Day
$37.71Half Day
$29.06Maryland
Full Day
$37.50Half Day
$28.02Connecticut
10 Least Expensive States (avg. price)
Full Day
$22.11Half Day
$17.75Mississippi
Full Day
$22.73Half Day
$17.33Wyoming
Full Day
$24.94Half Day
$17.20West Virginia
Full Day
$25.20Half Day
$19.13North Dakota
Full Day
$25.42Half Day
$19.70Louisiana
Full Day
$25.79Half Day
$18.34Kentucky
Full Day
$25.89Half Day
$19.62Arkansas
Full Day
$26.22Half Day
$18.61Idaho
Full Day
$26.51Half Day
$19.96Iowa
Full Day
$26.73Half Day
$20.16Oklahoma
Price Consistency Varies Widely by State
Some states showed relatively consistent pricing:
- Rhode Island and D.C. had the lowest standard deviation in pricing, suggesting tight price ranges and standardized service models.
- Vermont and New York, on the other hand, showed high variability in both full-day and half-day pricing, likely reflecting the mix of rural and urban areas.
Observations on Listed Prices
- In most states, the median full-day price is slightly lower than the average, because a few high-priced outliers raise the overall average.
- Hawaii is an exception, where the median is higher than the average, this is because there are fewer lower-cost options and a tighter price band.
What’s Not Listed (and Why That Might Be)
One of the more interesting findings in our research wasn’t just about the prices themselves—but about what’s missing from many daycare websites.
In our sample of facilities that list a full-day daycare rate:
- Only 51% also list a price for half-day care.
- And just 25% publish a rate for a second dog.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the other half of facilities don’t offer these options—but it does suggest that a significant number choose not to list them publicly. Perhaps, it’s a reflection of how dog daycare facilities think about value and capacity.
Unlike industries where add-ons or partial services reduce workload, in pet care, a second dog or a half-day stay doesn’t necessarily reduce the operational burden. Each dog still requires staff attention, space, cleaning, and enrichment—regardless of whether they’re there for a few hours or all day. And when space is limited, offering a discount for a second dog or a partial-day booking may come at the expense of selling a full-price, full-day slot.
So the fact that fewer businesses list these rates publicly may suggest something simple: these discounts aren't always necessary and can eat into your profit margin unnecessarily.
Final Thoughts
This dataset paints a picture of an industry that’s both highly localized and strategically varied. While full-day daycare pricing is widely published and relatively easy to benchmark, other offerings—like half-day care and second-dog discounts—are less visible, and for good reason. Facilities are making pricing decisions based not only on customer expectations, but also on how they manage space, labor, and revenue per kennel.
The goal of this research isn’t to define what pricing should look like—but to provide a clearer view of how it’s currently being approached so it can guide your own decision-making processes. Whether you're adjusting your own rates, evaluating a new market, or simply curious about industry norms, we hope this provides a useful reference point.
This is just a preview of the broader dataset we’ll be releasing soon on a new research area of our website. Stay tuned!
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