Avg Infant (Center)
$6,896 /yr
Across 67 Alabama counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Alabama
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Alabama ranks #5 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $6,896
- Avg infant (center)
- -28%
- Vs. national avg
- #5 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Alabama statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $6,896 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $1,730 County min–max gap
- RANK #5 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 67 Reporting counties
- MIN $5,927 Cheapest county
- MAX $7,657 Priciest county
- PHOTO South Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$6,716 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$6,348 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$5,927 – $7,657
Lowest to highest county
Alabama center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Alabama ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$6,896 Among the most affordable more affordable than 89% of 45 US states
Each bar is a $2.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. 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 · 2026-09-24
Alabama infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 43.1%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Alabama infant care as a share of an $80,000 reference household income. The dark marker shows the HHS 7% threshold, anything past it is officially "unaffordable" by federal definition.
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Cheapest Childcare
Counties with the lowest infant care costs in Alabama, starting at $5,927/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Alabama, up to $7,657/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Alabama
Across Alabama's 67 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $6,896/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $6,716/year, preschool $6,348/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Alabama - infant care runs only 9% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $5,927 to $7,657 (Δ $1,730/yr). Licensing ratios and background checks are uniform statewide; density and subsidy acceptance are not - use the county table and Read-with drills below, not a clone licensing essay.
Counties
| County | Infant /yr | Toddler /yr | Preschool /yr | % of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County | $7,582 | $7,213 | $6,498 | 11.1% |
| Baldwin County | $6,932 | $6,715 | $6,390 | 9.8% |
| Barbour County | $6,336 | $6,066 | $5,741 | 16.0% |
| Bibb County | $7,094 | $6,888 | $6,693 | 14.0% |
| Blount County | $7,588 | $7,823 | $7,173 | 13.2% |
| Bullock County | $7,582 | $7,213 | $6,498 | 21.0% |
| Butler County | $7,532 | $7,171 | $6,456 | 17.0% |
| Calhoun County | $5,968 | $5,957 | $5,957 | 11.0% |
| Chambers County | $7,018 | $6,986 | $6,531 | 14.4% |
| Cherokee County | $6,113 | $5,606 | $5,346 | 13.1% |
| Chilton County | $7,532 | $7,171 | $6,456 | 12.1% |
| Choctaw County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 16.3% |
| Clarke County | $6,882 | $6,669 | $6,344 | 14.5% |
| Clay County | $5,927 | $5,918 | $5,918 | 12.3% |
| Cleburne County | $5,927 | $5,918 | $5,918 | 11.5% |
| Coffee County | $6,336 | $6,066 | $5,741 | 10.2% |
| Colbert County | $7,073 | $6,997 | $6,607 | 12.6% |
| Conecuh County | $6,882 | $6,669 | $6,344 | 17.3% |
| Coosa County | $5,927 | $5,918 | $5,918 | 11.3% |
| Covington County | $7,582 | $7,213 | $6,498 | 15.5% |
| Crenshaw County | $6,299 | $6,030 | $5,705 | 13.0% |
| Cullman County | $7,016 | $6,947 | $6,557 | 12.1% |
| Dale County | $6,336 | $6,066 | $5,741 | 12.0% |
| Dallas County | $7,582 | $7,213 | $6,498 | 20.4% |
| DeKalb County | $6,113 | $5,606 | $5,346 | 12.8% |
| Elmore County | $7,582 | $7,213 | $6,498 | 10.3% |
| Escambia County | $6,932 | $6,715 | $6,390 | 16.8% |
| Etowah County | $6,152 | $5,643 | $5,383 | 11.8% |
| Fayette County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 15.4% |
| Franklin County | $7,016 | $6,947 | $6,557 | 14.8% |
| Geneva County | $6,299 | $6,030 | $5,705 | 13.2% |
| Greene County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 21.5% |
| Hale County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 19.7% |
| Henry County | $6,299 | $6,030 | $5,705 | 10.8% |
| Houston County | $6,336 | $6,066 | $5,741 | 11.5% |
| Jackson County | $6,113 | $5,606 | $5,346 | 13.1% |
| Jefferson County | $7,635 | $7,866 | $7,216 | 12.0% |
| Lamar County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 14.2% |
| Lauderdale County | $7,073 | $6,997 | $6,607 | 12.6% |
| Lawrence County | $7,016 | $6,947 | $6,557 | 12.8% |
| Lee County | $7,018 | $6,986 | $6,531 | 11.8% |
| Limestone County | $7,073 | $6,997 | $6,607 | 8.8% |
| Lowndes County | $7,532 | $7,171 | $6,456 | 22.7% |
| Macon County | $7,018 | $6,986 | $6,531 | 17.0% |
| Madison County | $7,073 | $6,997 | $6,607 | 9.1% |
| Marengo County | $7,094 | $6,888 | $6,693 | 16.5% |
| Marion County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 14.2% |
| Marshall County | $6,152 | $5,643 | $5,383 | 10.6% |
| Mobile County | $6,932 | $6,715 | $6,390 | 12.5% |
| Monroe County | $6,882 | $6,669 | $6,344 | 17.2% |
| Montgomery County | $7,566 | $7,200 | $6,485 | 13.3% |
| Morgan County | $7,073 | $6,997 | $6,607 | 11.5% |
| Perry County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 21.8% |
| Pickens County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 15.5% |
| Pike County | $6,336 | $6,066 | $5,741 | 14.9% |
| Randolph County | $5,927 | $5,918 | $5,918 | 11.9% |
| Russell County | $7,018 | $6,986 | $6,531 | 14.8% |
| Shelby County | $7,657 | $7,885 | $7,235 | 8.4% |
| St. Clair County | $7,588 | $7,823 | $7,173 | 10.4% |
| Sumter County | $7,050 | $6,846 | $6,651 | 22.2% |
| Talladega County | $5,968 | $5,957 | $5,957 | 11.4% |
| Tallapoosa County | $6,967 | $6,938 | $6,483 | 13.1% |
| Tuscaloosa County | $7,094 | $6,888 | $6,693 | 11.5% |
| Walker County | $7,588 | $7,823 | $7,173 | 14.3% |
| Washington County | $6,882 | $6,669 | $6,344 | 13.4% |
| Wilcox County | $7,532 | $7,171 | $6,456 | 19.7% |
| Winston County | $7,016 | $6,947 | $6,557 | 14.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Alabama rank on childcare costs nationally?
Alabama's average center-based infant care ($6,896/yr) is cheaper than 89% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #5 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Alabama than the national average?
Alabama's average infant care price runs 28% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Alabama?
Yes - Alabama's 67 reporting counties range from $5,927 to $7,657/yr for infant care, a $1,730 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Alabama?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in Alabama - infant care runs only 9% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP). Costs shown are annual estimates
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
PlainChildcare is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices and Census ACS income data, no number is typed in by an editor. State averages and county ranks are computed from the NDCP price tables joined to ACS median household income. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026. Primary sources: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.