County childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Watauga County, NC
The standout signal in Watauga County, NC is income burden: infant center care takes 18.7% of median ACS income (HEAVY · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 2% below the national average.
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $9,380
- Center Infant/yr
- $8,235
- Family Infant/yr
- $50,034
- Median Income
- 18.7%
- % of Income (Infant)
The verdict
Watauga County pairs the 47th percentile for infant-care affordability nationally with a heavy income burden on families.
- 47th pct.
- affordability nationally
- Heavy
- income-burden tier
- Moderate
- family-vs-infant price gap
- #1,414
- 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.
Center-based infant care in Watauga County, NC costs $9,380/year, while family childcare is $8,235/year, based on National Database of Childcare Prices survey data from the U.S. Department of Labor. This represents 18.7% of the median household income, exceeding the HHS 7% affordability threshold. Toddler care at a center costs $7,799/year.
Heavy-burden age costs in Watauga County
| Age Group | Center-Based | Family Childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,380 | $8,235 |
| Toddler | $7,799 | $6,432 |
| Preschool | $8,400 | $8,059 |
| School Age | $6,481 | $7,428 |
Where Watauga County ranks on infant-care cost
Center-based infant care, every U.S. county with reported prices
$9,380 more affordable than 47% 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
Watauga 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, Watauga County has lower income and lower infant-care cost than the typical North Carolina county (its national standing, the 47th 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 Watauga County
Complete NDCP ladder under a heavy-burden tercile (18.7% of ACS median, HEAVY), compare center premiums before treating sticker alone as the story.
| Age | Center | Family | Center premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $9,380 | $8,235 | +$1,145 (+13.9%) |
| Toddler | $7,799 | $6,432 | +$1,367 (+21.3%) |
| Preschool | $8,400 | $8,059 | +$341 (+4.2%) |
| School Age | $6,481 | $7,428 | $-947 (-12.7%) |
Across all four ages, a center path totals $32,060/year versus $30,154/year for family care ($1,906 more at a center). Infant center care runs 1.45× school-age center care here. Among the 98North Carolina counties with a complete NDCP ladder, Watauga County ranks #46 by infant center price (1 = cheapest).
Watauga County burden reading
The standout signal in Watauga County, NC is income burden: infant center care takes 18.7% of median ACS income (HEAVY · heavy-burden tercile), while the sticker sits 2% below the national average.
Heavy-burden tercile counties like Watauga County put infant center care at 18.7% of a $50,034 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)
8 years of federal survey data (2014–2022) show how center-based infant care has moved.
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 | $10,992 |
| 2015 | $10,259 |
| 2016 | $9,871 |
| 2017 | $9,484 |
| 2018 | $9,096 |
| 2019 | $8,708 |
| 2020 | $8,321 |
| 2021 | N/A |
| 2022 | $9,380 |
Nearest infant-price counties in North Carolina
Ordered by ABS(center_infant) to Watauga County's PAR NDCP sticker - not A-Z chrome.
What to do with Watauga County
Infant center care here runs 18.7% of the local median income (HEAVY), check where your own household lands.
- Watauga County spends 18.7% 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
- $9,380/yr center infant sticker (PAR) - see how Watauga 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 Watauga County families are likely eligible. Check subsidy eligibility
Figures are NDCP county-level survey medians for 2022 - your local providers set the actual price.