County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Bedford County, VA
The standout signal in Bedford County, VA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,649/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,189 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,189
- Center Infant/yr
- $6,540
- Family Infant/yr
- $74,773
- Median Income
- 13.6%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Bedford County pairs the 36th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 36th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,695
- of 2,661 priced counties
A center-based childcare affordability composite (infant, preschool, and school-age price burden relative to local median income) plus poverty rate, benchmarked against every other tracked county nationally. Not a rating of childcare quality, safety, or availability. Dimensions with no data on file are excluded and their weight redistributed, never counted as zero.
National sticker context: $9,593 average.
Center-based infant care in Bedford County, VA costs $10,189/year, while family childcare is $6,540/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 13.6% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $5,980/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Bedford County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,189 | $6,540 |
| Toddler | $5,980 | $6,500 |
| Preschool | $5,980 | $6,500 |
| School Age | $5,460 | $9,286 |
Where Bedford County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$10,189 more affordable than 36% of 2,661 US counties
Each bar is a $2.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices · 2022
Bedford County vs. every other Virginia county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Virginia counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Virginia median.
Within Virginia, Bedford County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical Virginia county (its national standing, the 36th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Full NDCP Care Ladder in Bedford County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (PAR / HEAVY · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,189 | $6,540 | +$3,649 (+55.8%) |
| Toddler | $5,980 | $6,500 | $-520 (-8%) |
| Preschool | $5,980 | $6,500 | $-520 (-8%) |
| School Age | $5,460 | $9,286 | $-3,826 (-41.2%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $27,609/year versus $28,826/year for family care ($1,217 less at a center). Infant center care runs 1.87× school-age center care here. Among the 134Virginia counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Bedford County ranks #81 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Bedford County premium reading
The standout signal in Bedford County, VA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,649/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,189 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Bedford County spends 13.6% of a $74,773 median on infant center care (HEAVY). Pair the PAR sticker with the age-group table before treating any single cell as the household story.
For how to vet a licensed provider (inspection reports, QRIS ratings, CCDF subsidy intake), see Choosing Quality Childcare. Rate methodology: how these numbers are computed.
Historical Price Trends (2008–2022)
Here's how center-based infant care priced out from 2009 to 2022, across 13 years of NDCP survey data.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | $5,850 |
| 2010 | $6,500 |
| 2011 | $7,150 |
| 2012 | $7,800 |
| 2013 | $8,233 |
| 2014 | $8,667 |
| 2015 | $9,100 |
| 2016 | $9,360 |
| 2017 | $9,620 |
| 2018 | $9,880 |
| 2019 | $10,140 |
| 2020 | $10,400 |
| 2021 | N/A |
| 2022 | $10,189 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Virginia
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Bedford County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Bedford County
Infant center care here runs 13.6% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Bedford County spends 13.6% of median income on infant center care, above the HHS 7%-of-income affordability line. See exactly where your own household income lands. Affordability calculator
- $10,189/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Bedford County compares against the full national ladder. National rankings
- If care is straining the budget, federal and state programs (CCDF, Head Start) can cut it sharply. Check whether Bedford County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.