Avg Infant (Center)
$9,487 /yr
Across 99 North Carolina counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in North Carolina
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), North Carolina ranks #16 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $9,487
- Avg infant (center)
- -1%
- Vs. national avg
- #16 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
North Carolina statewide sticker posture
- PRICE PAR vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $9,487 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $12,761 County min–max gap
- RANK #16 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 99 Reporting counties
- MIN $5,692 Cheapest county
- MAX $18,453 Priciest county
- PHOTO Nebraska Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,856 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$6,548 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$5,692 – $18,453
Lowest to highest county
North Carolina center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where North Carolina ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$9,487 Among the most affordable more affordable than 64% 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
North Carolina infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 59.3%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows North Carolina 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 North Carolina, starting at $5,692/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in North Carolina, up to $18,453/yr
Childcare Landscape Across North Carolina
Across North Carolina's 99 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $9,487/year (PAR vs the national mean), toddler $7,856/year, preschool $6,548/year. The gap is wide here - infant care runs 45% above preschool, a steeper age-based curve than most states, reflecting a tighter infant staffing ratio. County stickers run $5,692 to $18,453 (Δ $12,761/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $7,550 | $7,448 | $5,859 | 12.4% |
| Alexander County | $8,263 | $6,833 | $6,139 | 13.2% |
| Alleghany County | $5,692 | $5,662 | $5,662 | 13.5% |
| Anson County | $8,254 | $6,794 | $6,511 | 19.7% |
| Ashe County | $8,762 | $6,511 | $6,102 | 17.8% |
| Avery County | $12,352 | $7,840 | $7,077 | 23.1% |
| Beaufort County | $9,631 | $8,326 | $7,032 | 17.2% |
| Bertie County | $8,538 | $7,199 | $7,887 | 20.5% |
| Bladen County | $5,692 | $5,662 | $5,662 | 14.1% |
| Brunswick County | $9,560 | $8,234 | $7,572 | 13.4% |
| Buncombe County | $9,920 | $8,579 | $9,099 | 14.9% |
| Burke County | $9,403 | $6,613 | $5,809 | 17.5% |
| Cabarrus County | $13,392 | $10,623 | $8,929 | 16.0% |
| Caldwell County | $8,538 | $7,140 | $6,001 | 16.3% |
| Camden County | $9,404 | $9,144 | $4,379 | 11.9% |
| Carteret County | $10,339 | $6,701 | $6,701 | 15.4% |
| Caswell County | $10,531 | $7,317 | $6,037 | 18.5% |
| Catawba County | $9,519 | $7,371 | $5,670 | 15.3% |
| Chatham County | $11,834 | $9,488 | $8,604 | 14.1% |
| Cherokee County | $10,864 | $7,134 | $4,812 | 22.1% |
| Chowan County | $6,831 | $6,511 | $5,662 | 13.3% |
| Clay County | $10,864 | $7,134 | $4,812 | 19.0% |
| Cleveland County | $8,254 | $7,077 | $6,794 | 16.3% |
| Columbus County | $7,239 | $7,019 | $6,031 | 16.8% |
| Craven County | $10,417 | $8,663 | $7,643 | 16.9% |
| Cumberland County | $9,535 | $8,288 | $6,865 | 17.2% |
| Currituck County | $8,947 | $7,752 | $6,697 | 10.8% |
| Dare County | $11,967 | $10,623 | $9,209 | 15.0% |
| Davidson County | $9,403 | $8,269 | $6,697 | 16.1% |
| Davie County | $10,828 | $8,299 | $8,402 | 15.7% |
| Duplin County | $6,831 | $6,794 | $6,568 | 13.8% |
| Durham County | $16,487 | $12,452 | $9,795 | 22.0% |
| Edgecombe County | $9,904 | $7,643 | $6,454 | 21.4% |
| Forsyth County | $10,531 | $8,776 | $7,814 | 17.2% |
| Franklin County | $10,411 | $7,732 | $6,959 | 14.8% |
| Gaston County | $7,687 | $6,939 | $5,624 | 12.3% |
| Gates County | $10,864 | $7,134 | $4,812 | 19.5% |
| Graham County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Granville County | $10,411 | $8,247 | $6,031 | 15.3% |
| Greene County | $6,703 | $5,979 | $5,979 | 13.3% |
| Guilford County | $11,779 | $9,124 | $6,856 | 18.7% |
| Halifax County | $9,064 | $6,729 | $5,750 | 21.8% |
| Harnett County | $10,233 | $7,217 | $5,927 | 15.7% |
| Haywood County | $10,572 | $7,018 | $5,670 | 18.7% |
| Henderson County | $10,114 | $7,732 | $6,701 | 15.4% |
| Hertford County | $8,053 | $6,907 | $6,860 | 17.4% |
| Hoke County | $7,775 | $7,019 | $6,499 | 13.6% |
| Hyde County | $8,848 | $7,980 | $5,719 | 20.2% |
| Iredell County | $11,601 | $9,077 | $7,732 | 15.9% |
| Jackson County | $9,404 | $9,144 | $4,379 | 18.3% |
| Johnston County | $11,255 | $9,762 | $7,757 | 14.9% |
| Jones County | $6,831 | $6,794 | $6,568 | 12.9% |
| Lee County | $7,550 | $6,158 | $5,531 | 12.4% |
| Lenoir County | $8,823 | $8,210 | $6,794 | 20.5% |
| Lincoln County | $10,258 | $8,900 | $7,255 | 13.6% |
| Macon County | $9,261 | $7,077 | $9,043 | 18.1% |
| Madison County | $7,738 | $6,964 | $5,662 | 13.7% |
| Martin County | $9,445 | $6,011 | $6,690 | 21.1% |
| McDowell County | $8,523 | $7,350 | $6,976 | 15.9% |
| Mecklenburg County | $14,774 | $13,061 | $8,891 | 18.6% |
| Mitchell County | $7,759 | $7,156 | $5,302 | 14.0% |
| Montgomery County | $9,392 | $6,794 | $5,662 | 16.9% |
| Moore County | $9,817 | $7,990 | $6,701 | 12.6% |
| Nash County | $8,178 | $7,694 | $6,976 | 14.4% |
| New Hanover County | $11,601 | $9,020 | $6,959 | 17.2% |
| Northampton County | $10,129 | $9,304 | $6,390 | 22.2% |
| Onslow County | $10,531 | $7,886 | $6,701 | 17.6% |
| Orange County | $18,453 | $15,202 | $10,326 | 21.5% |
| Pamlico County | $9,511 | $7,343 | $4,482 | 17.0% |
| Pasquotank County | $8,286 | $7,116 | $5,972 | 13.5% |
| Pender County | $10,371 | $9,370 | $7,170 | 13.9% |
| Perquimans County | $10,246 | $9,342 | $6,228 | 17.2% |
| Person County | $8,848 | $7,980 | $5,719 | 14.6% |
| Pitt County | $10,828 | $9,475 | $8,092 | 19.7% |
| Polk County | $9,393 | $9,016 | $4,442 | 15.5% |
| Randolph County | $9,935 | $7,371 | $6,185 | 17.6% |
| Richmond County | $7,115 | $6,794 | $5,662 | 16.8% |
| Robeson County | $7,685 | $6,738 | $5,775 | 19.5% |
| Rockingham County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $4,812 | 14.0% |
| Rowan County | $10,352 | $7,217 | $6,185 | 17.3% |
| Rutherford County | $8,377 | $7,386 | $5,860 | 16.6% |
| Sampson County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $5,662 | 14.2% |
| Scotland County | $7,400 | $6,228 | $5,919 | 17.6% |
| Stanly County | $9,677 | $8,493 | $7,643 | 16.0% |
| Stokes County | $8,823 | $6,794 | $6,511 | 15.3% |
| Surry County | $9,164 | $7,360 | $6,058 | 17.4% |
| Swain County | $7,982 | $5,676 | $5,616 | 15.1% |
| Transylvania County | $9,791 | $7,926 | $6,511 | 15.8% |
| Tyrrell County | $5,692 | $5,662 | $5,662 | 10.3% |
| Union County | $12,906 | $10,647 | $6,056 | 13.5% |
| Vance County | $8,351 | $7,222 | $6,697 | 17.3% |
| Wake County | $15,979 | $13,061 | $9,809 | 16.5% |
| Warren County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $6,511 | 16.8% |
| Washington County | $8,014 | $6,729 | $5,658 | 20.6% |
| Watauga County | $9,380 | $7,799 | $8,400 | 18.7% |
| Wayne County | $7,978 | $7,178 | $6,418 | 14.7% |
| Wilkes County | $9,524 | $8,266 | $5,662 | 19.4% |
| Wilson County | $9,108 | $7,926 | $7,077 | 18.3% |
| Yadkin County | $7,123 | $5,632 | $4,743 | 12.4% |
| Yancey County | $10,129 | $9,304 | $6,390 | 19.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does North Carolina rank on childcare costs nationally?
North Carolina's average center-based infant care ($9,487/yr) is cheaper than 64% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #16 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in North Carolina than the national average?
North Carolina's average infant care price runs 1% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a PAR band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within North Carolina?
Yes - North Carolina's 99 reporting counties range from $5,692 to $18,453/yr for infant care, a $12,761 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in North Carolina?
The gap is wide here - infant care runs 45% above preschool, a steeper age-based curve than most states, reflecting a tighter infant staffing ratio.
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.