County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Lee County, NC
The standout signal in Lee County, NC is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $458/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,550 center sticker.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $7,550
- Center Infant/yr
- $7,092
- Family Infant/yr
- $60,941
- Median Income
- 12.4%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Lee County pairs below-national-median infant care costs with a light income burden on families.
- Top 33%
- cheapest nationally
- Light
- income-burden tier
- Narrow
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #891
- 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.
The going rate for center-based infant care in Lee County, NC is $7,550/year, while family childcare is $7,092/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 12.4% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $6,158/year.
Annual childcare costs by age in Lee County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $7,550 | $7,092 |
| Toddler | $6,158 | $6,117 |
| Preschool | $5,531 | $5,769 |
| School Age | $3,219 | $4,476 |
Where Lee County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$7,550 Among the most affordable more affordable than 67% 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
Lee County vs. every other North Carolina county: income vs. infant-care cost
Median household income (x) vs. average center-based infant care (y) across 30 North Carolina counties with reported prices. Crosshairs at the North Carolina median.
Within North Carolina, Lee County has higher income but lower infant-care cost than the typical North Carolina 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 Lee County
Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (MID / HEAVY · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $7,550 | $7,092 | +$458 (+6.5%) |
| Toddler | $6,158 | $6,117 | +$41 (+0.7%) |
| Preschool | $5,531 | $5,769 | $-238 (-4.1%) |
| School Age | $3,219 | $4,476 | $-1,257 (-28.1%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $22,458/year versus $23,454/year for family care ($996 less at a center). Infant center care runs 2.35× school-age center care here. Among the 98North Carolina counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Lee County ranks #16 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Lee County premium reading
The standout signal in Lee County, NC is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $458/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $7,550 center sticker.
Light-burden tercile reading: Lee County keeps infant center care at 12.4% of a $60,941 median (HEAVY). Sticker still matters (MID), but income share is not the binding constraint versus waitlists and licensed capacity.
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 2014–2022 (8 years of NDCP data).
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 | $8,169 |
| 2015 | $8,012 |
| 2016 | $8,201 |
| 2017 | $8,390 |
| 2018 | $8,579 |
| 2019 | $8,769 |
| 2020 | $8,958 |
| 2021 | N/A |
| 2022 | $7,550 |
Nearest infant-price counties in North Carolina
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Lee County's MID NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Lee County
Infant center care here runs 12.4% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Lee County spends 12.4% 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
- $7,550/yr center infant sticker (MID) - see how Lee 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 Lee County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.