Cheapest Childcare in North Carolina
Floor county 40% below the North Carolina infant average
Ranked by reported cost only, not a quality, safety, or licensing rating. Verify licensing and inspection history directly with providers or North Carolina's Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency before choosing care.
Counties with Cheapest Childcare
| # | County | Infant Care |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrrell County | $5,692/yr |
| 2 | Bladen County | $5,692/yr |
| 3 | Alleghany County | $5,692/yr |
| 4 | Greene County | $6,703/yr |
| 5 | Jones County | $6,831/yr |
| 6 | Duplin County | $6,831/yr |
| 7 | Chowan County | $6,831/yr |
| 8 | Warren County | $7,115/yr |
| 9 | Sampson County | $7,115/yr |
| 10 | Rockingham County | $7,115/yr |
| 11 | Richmond County | $7,115/yr |
| 12 | Yadkin County | $7,123/yr |
| 13 | Columbus County | $7,239/yr |
| 14 | Scotland County | $7,400/yr |
| 15 | Lee County | $7,550/yr |
| 16 | Alamance County | $7,550/yr |
| 17 | Robeson County | $7,685/yr |
| 18 | Gaston County | $7,687/yr |
| 19 | Madison County | $7,738/yr |
| 20 | Mitchell County | $7,759/yr |
| 21 | Hoke County | $7,775/yr |
| 22 | Wayne County | $7,978/yr |
| 23 | Swain County | $7,982/yr |
| 24 | Washington County | $8,014/yr |
| 25 | Hertford County | $8,053/yr |
| 26 | Nash County | $8,178/yr |
| 27 | Cleveland County | $8,254/yr |
| 28 | Anson County | $8,254/yr |
| 29 | Alexander County | $8,263/yr |
| 30 | Pasquotank County | $8,286/yr |
| 31 | Vance County | $8,351/yr |
| 32 | Rutherford County | $8,377/yr |
| 33 | McDowell County | $8,523/yr |
| 34 | Caldwell County | $8,538/yr |
| 35 | Bertie County | $8,538/yr |
| 36 | Ashe County | $8,762/yr |
| 37 | Stokes County | $8,823/yr |
| 38 | Lenoir County | $8,823/yr |
| 39 | Person County | $8,848/yr |
| 40 | Hyde County | $8,848/yr |
| 41 | Currituck County | $8,947/yr |
| 42 | Halifax County | $9,064/yr |
| 43 | Wilson County | $9,108/yr |
| 44 | Surry County | $9,164/yr |
| 45 | Macon County | $9,261/yr |
| 46 | Watauga County | $9,380/yr |
| 47 | Montgomery County | $9,392/yr |
| 48 | Polk County | $9,393/yr |
| 49 | Davidson County | $9,403/yr |
| 50 | Burke County | $9,403/yr |
Deep floor gap inside North Carolina
Signature read: the #1 county sits 40% below the North Carolina infant average — a deep in-state floor gap on this NDCP list. Tyrrell County posts $5,692/year — 40% under the $9,487 state average — with toddler $5,662 and preschool $5,662.
All 50 priced North Carolina counties on this board are sorted by center infant price (NDCP). Ranked by reported cost only — not quality, safety, or licensing.
Methodology
Low-avg state board: counties sorted by NDCP center infant cost (2022); state benchmark $9,487/year.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) · 2022
DOL Women's Bureau NDCP · North Carolina cheapest-county board, 2022
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.