County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Karnes County, TX
The standout signal in Karnes County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $884/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $8,892 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-07-05
- $8,892
- Center Infant/yr
- $8,008
- Family Infant/yr
- $57,798
- Median Income
- 15.4%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Karnes County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a moderate income burden on families.
- Top 48%
- cheapest nationally
- Moderate
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,284
- of 2,662 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: $9,592 average.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Karnes County, TX is $8,892/year, while family childcare is $8,008/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 15.4% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,320/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Karnes County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $8,892 | $8,008 |
| Toddler | $8,320 | $7,696 |
| Preschool | $8,112 | $7,592 |
| School Age | $7,748 | $7,228 |
Where Karnes County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$8,892 more affordable than 52% of 2,662 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
Karnes County vs. every other Texas county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 Texas counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the Texas median.
Within Texas, Karnes County has lower income but higher infant-care cost than the typical Texas county (its national standing, below-national-median infant care costs, is a separate comparison against every U.S. county, not just its own state).
Full NDCP Care Ladder in Karnes 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 | $8,892 | $8,008 | +$884 (+11%) |
| Toddler | $8,320 | $7,696 | +$624 (+8.1%) |
| Preschool | $8,112 | $7,592 | +$520 (+6.8%) |
| School Age | $7,748 | $7,228 | +$520 (+7.2%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $33,072/year versus $30,524/year for family care ($2,548 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.15× school-age center care here. Among the 254Texas counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Karnes County ranks #211 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Karnes County premium reading
The standout signal in Karnes County, TX is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $884/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $8,892 center sticker.
Mid-burden tercile: Karnes County spends 15.4% of a $57,798 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)
Center-based infant care costs over 2009–2022 (14 years of NDCP data).
View full data table (all care types) ▼
| Year | Ctr Infant |
|---|---|
| 2008 | N/A |
| 2009 | $6,653 |
| 2010 | $6,942 |
| 2011 | $7,231 |
| 2012 | $7,519 |
| 2013 | $7,769 |
| 2014 | $7,496 |
| 2015 | $7,920 |
| 2016 | $7,834 |
| 2017 | $8,614 |
| 2018 | $8,666 |
| 2019 | $8,797 |
| 2020 | $8,928 |
| 2021 | $9,724 |
| 2022 | $8,892 |
Nearest infant-price counties in Texas
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Karnes County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Karnes County
Infant center care here runs 15.4% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Karnes County spends 15.4% 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
- $8,892/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Karnes 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 Karnes County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.