Market Rate Survey Series

The National Center on Subsidy Innovation and Accountability (NCSIA) developed a series of briefs in 2018 to address topics related to market rate surveys. Some of the topics discussed in this series include planning a market rate survey, selecting data sources, designing and conducting the survey, analyzing the results, and reporting and using results. These resources were updated in 2023.

• Planning Your Market Rate Survey explains:
  • The regulatory requirements for conducting a market rate survey
  • The importance between prices charged and actual costs associated with providing care
  • Proposed steps for planning the survey
• Designing and Conducting Your Market Rate Survey addresses:
  • Data sources that can be used to conduct or augment the survey
  • Best practices for developing survey instruments
  • Selecting the survey participants
  • The timing of the survey
  • How to engage the child care provider community
• Analyzing Your Market Rate Survey Data covers:
  • The steps Lead Agencies can take to analyze the results of their market rate survey studies
  • Considerations to rank price estimates into percentile values that can be used for setting rates
• Using Market Rate Survey and Other Data Sources to Set Subsidy Payment Rates provides:
  • Next steps after analyzing market rate survey data
  • Preparing the detailed report
  • Considerations in setting subsidy payment rates
  • Ensuring equal access