County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Sumter County, SC
The standout signal in Sumter County, SC is income burden: infant center care takes 19.2% of median ACS income (HEAVY · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 8% above the national average.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $10,344
- Center Infant/yr
- $7,152
- Family Infant/yr
- $53,970
- Median Income
- 19.2%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Sumter County pairs the 34th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a heavy income burden on families.
- 34th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Heavy
- income-burden tier
- Wide
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,749
- 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 Sumter County, SC is $10,344/year, while family childcare is $7,152/year, per the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). This represents 19.2% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $9,622/year.
Heavy-burden age costs in Sumter 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 Sumter 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
Sumter 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, Sumter County has lower income but higher infant-care cost than the typical South Carolina county (its national standing, the 34th 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 Sumter County
Complete NDCP ladder under a heavy-burden tercile (19.2% of ACS median, HEAVY), compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.
| 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, Sumter County ranks #39 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Sumter County burden reading
The standout signal in Sumter County, SC is income burden: infant center care takes 19.2% of median ACS income (HEAVY · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 8% above the national average.
Heavy-burden tercile counties like Sumter County put infant center care at 19.2% of a $53,970 ACS median, well above the HHS 7% line. Treat subsidy and family-setting trade-offs as first-order, not footnotes.
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 (9 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 | $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 Sumter County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Sumter County
Infant center care here runs 19.2% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Sumter County spends 19.2% 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
- $10,344/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Sumter 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 Sumter County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.