County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Berkeley County, SC
The standout signal in Berkeley County, SC is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,192/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,344 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,344
- Center Infant/yr
- $7,152
- Family Infant/yr
- $77,874
- Median Income
- 13.3%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Berkeley County pairs the 35th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a moderate income burden on families.
- 35th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,742
- 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.
Berkeley County, SC families pay $10,344/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $7,152/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 13.3% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,622/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Berkeley County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $10,344 | $7,152 |
| Toddler | $9,622 | $7,152 |
| Preschool | $9,418 | $6,929 |
| School Age | $7,158 | $4,652 |
Where Berkeley County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$10,344 more affordable than 34% 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
Berkeley County vs. every other South Carolina county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 South Carolina counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the South Carolina median.
Within South Carolina, Berkeley County has higher income and higher infant-care cost than the typical South Carolina county (its national standing, the 35th 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 Berkeley 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 | $10,344 | $7,152 | +$3,192 (+44.6%) |
| Toddler | $9,622 | $7,152 | +$2,470 (+34.5%) |
| Preschool | $9,418 | $6,929 | +$2,489 (+35.9%) |
| School Age | $7,158 | $4,652 | +$2,506 (+53.9%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $36,542/year versus $25,885/year for family care ($10,657 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.45× school-age center care here. Among the 46South Carolina counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Berkeley County ranks #32 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Berkeley County premium reading
The standout signal in Berkeley County, SC is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $3,192/yr more than family care (wide premium tercile) beside a $10,344 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Berkeley County spends 13.3% of a $77,874 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)
The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 9 years, from 2014 through 2022.
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | N/A |
| 2010 | N/A |
| 2011 | N/A |
| 2012 | N/A |
| 2013 | N/A |
| 2014 | $6,825 |
| 2015 | $7,150 |
| 2016 | $7,475 |
| 2017 | $7,800 |
| 2018 | $8,309 |
| 2019 | $8,818 |
| 2020 | $9,327 |
| 2021 | $9,835 |
| 2022 | $10,344 |
Nearest infant-price counties in South Carolina
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Berkeley County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Berkeley County
Infant center care here runs 13.3% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Berkeley County spends 13.3% 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
- $10,344/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Berkeley 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 Berkeley County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.