County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022

Childcare costs in Suffolk City, VA

The standout signal in Suffolk City, VA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $82/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $9,851 center sticker.

Data updated 2026-09-24

$9,851
Center Infant/yr
$9,769
Family Infant/yr
$87,758
Median Income
11.2%
% of Income (Infant)

The verdict

Suffolk City pairs the 39th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a light income burden on families.

39th pct.
affordability nationally
Light
income-burden tier
Narrow
family-vs-infant price gap
#1,625
of 2,661 priced counties
B
PlainChildcare Composite Score
76/100
Suffolk City, VA

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.

Infant care burden A
Center-based infant care costs 11.2% of median household income here (national median 14.6%)
Preschool care burden A
Center-based preschool care costs 9.7% of median household income here (national median 12.5%)
School-age care burden B
Center-based school-age care costs 8.5% of median household income here (national median 10.4%)
Economic hardship B
7.5% poverty rate here (national median 9.3%)
Price-change feed

National sticker context: $9,593 average.

The going rate for center-based infant care in Suffolk City, VA is $9,851/year, while family childcare is $9,769/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 11.2% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $8,711/year.

Annual childcare costs by age in Suffolk City

Age Group Center-Based Family Childcare
Infant $9,851 $9,769
Toddler $8,711 $7,957
Preschool $8,528 $7,919
School Age $7,416 $4,642

Where Suffolk City ranks on infant-care cost

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

$9,851 more affordable than 39% of 2,661 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

Suffolk City 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.

Median household income vs Avg. annual infant care 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Median household income (X) and Avg. annual infant care (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High income, high costLow income, high costHigh income, low costLow income, low cost $0$50,000$100,000$150,000 $0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000 Median household income Avg. annual infant care

Within Virginia, Suffolk City has higher income but lower infant-care cost than the typical Virginia county (its national standing, the 39th 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 Suffolk City

Every age×setting NDCP cell is reported here (PAR / OVER7 · mid-price), center premium and age-step are county-specific.

Age Center Family Center premium
Infant $9,851 $9,769 +$82 (+0.8%)
Toddler $8,711 $7,957 +$754 (+9.5%)
Preschool $8,528 $7,919 +$609 (+7.7%)
School Age $7,416 $4,642 +$2,774 (+59.8%)

Across all four ages, a center path totals $34,506/year versus $30,287/year for family care ($4,219 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.33× school-age center care here. Among the 134Virginia counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Suffolk City ranks #64 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).

Suffolk City premium reading

The standout signal in Suffolk City, VA is the center–family premium: center infant care costs $82/yr more than family care (narrow premium tercile) beside a $9,851 center sticker.

Light-burden tercile reading: Suffolk City keeps infant center care at 11.2% of a $87,758 median (OVER7). Sticker still matters (PAR), 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.

13 years of federal survey data (2009–2022) show how center-based infant care has moved.

+16.9% since 2009
Infant center care: $8,424 → $9,851
$9,851/yr
Most recent annual cost (2022)
13 years
Data available (2009–2022)
2009
$8,424
2010
$8,164
2011
$7,904
2012
$7,644
2013
$7,783
2014
$7,921
2015
$8,060
2016
$8,493
2017
$8,927
2018
$9,360
2019
$9,793
2020
$10,227
2022
$9,851
View full data table (all care types) ▼
Year Ctr Infant
2008 N/A
2009 $8,424
2010 $8,164
2011 $7,904
2012 $7,644
2013 $7,783
2014 $7,921
2015 $8,060
2016 $8,493
2017 $8,927
2018 $9,360
2019 $9,793
2020 $10,227
2021 N/A
2022 $9,851

What to do with Suffolk City

Infant center care here runs 11.2% of the local median income (OVER7), check where your own household lands.

  • Suffolk City spends 11.2% 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
  • $9,851/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Suffolk City 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 Suffolk City families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility

Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.