County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Carroll County, KY

Affordability desert

$11,048 a year for center-based infant care - 21.8% of the local median income, against a national average of $9,592.

Carroll County, KY families pay $11,048/year for center-based infant care, while family childcare is $9,615/year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices. This represents 21.8% of the median household income - exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,389/year, and preschool-age care is $9,389/year.

$11,048
Center Infant/yr
$9,615
Family Infant/yr
$50,625
Median Income
21.8%
% of Income (Infant)

NDCP county market brief

Carroll County, KY sticker posture in this snapshot

Entity-varying stamps from DOL NDCP county medians and ACS income burden, not a clone nationwide scaffold.

  1. HIGH NDCP sticker band
  2. DESERT HHS income share
  3. #1,986 of 2,662 National infant rank
  4. $11,048 Center infant/yr
  5. $9,615 Family infant/yr
  6. Grant County Nearest price peer
  7. 8/8 NDCP cells filled
  8. 2022 Survey vintage

Infant-price neighbourhood

Nearest ABS(center_infant) peers in KY (NDCP 2022).

Carroll (this)$11,048Grant County$11,048Harrison Cou…$11,048Scott County$11,048Jefferson Co…$11,236Estill County$10,603

Price-band peers

Annual Childcare Costs by Age Group

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $11,048 $9,615
Toddler $9,389 $9,039
Preschool $9,389 $9,039
School Age $9,269 $7,296

Where Carroll County ranks on infant-care cost

Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices

$11,048 more affordable than 25% of 2,662 US counties

This county $2,500 $32,500 every U.S. county, bucketed by value

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

Full NDCP Care Ladder in Carroll County

Complete NDCP ladder under a DESERT income burden (21.8% of ACS median) - compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.

Age Center Family Center premium
Infant $11,048 $9,615 +$1,433 (+14.9%)
Toddler $9,389 $9,039 +$350 (+3.9%)
Preschool $9,389 $9,039 +$350 (+3.9%)
School Age $9,269 $7,296 +$1,973 (+27%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $39,095/year versus $34,989/year for family care ($4,106 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.19× school-age center care here. Among the 120Kentucky counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Carroll County ranks #112 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

What These Numbers Mean for Carroll County Families

Weighed against a $50,625 median household income, Carroll County's childcare bill tells an affordability story, putting infant center care at 21.8% of gross income. Against the federal 7% affordability benchmark, the typical family here exceeds the federal affordability line by 14.8 points.At over 20% of income, Carroll County qualifies as an affordability desert, counties where childcare competes with housing and healthcare for household budget share.

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.

The NDCP has tracked center-based infant care here for 15 years, from 2008 through 2022.

+94.4% since 2008
Infant center care: $5,683 → $11,048
$11,048/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
15 years
Data available (2008–2022)
2008
$5,683
2009
$6,073
2010
$6,464
2011
$6,854
2012
$6,680
2013
$6,507
2014
$6,504
2015
$6,500
2016
$6,500
2017
$6,500
2018
$7,409
2019
$8,319
2020
$9,229
2021
$10,138
2022
$11,048
View full data table (all care types)
Year Ctr Infant
2008 $5,683
2009 $6,073
2010 $6,464
2011 $6,854
2012 $6,680
2013 $6,507
2014 $6,504
2015 $6,500
2016 $6,500
2017 $6,500
2018 $7,409
2019 $8,319
2020 $9,229
2021 $10,138
2022 $11,048

PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. County childcare prices and affordability ratios are computed from NDCP and ACS records for this county. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.