Avg Infant (Center)
$7,732 /yr
Across 46 South Carolina counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in South Carolina
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), South Carolina ranks #11 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $7,732
- Avg infant (center)
- -19%
- Vs. national avg
- #11 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
South Carolina statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $7,732 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $6,676 County min–max gap
- RANK #11 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 46 Reporting counties
- MIN $4,882 Cheapest county
- MAX $11,558 Priciest county
- PHOTO Tennessee Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$7,449 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$7,402 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$4,882 – $11,558
Lowest to highest county
South Carolina center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where South Carolina ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$7,732 Among the most affordable more affordable than 76% 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
South Carolina infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 48.3%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows South 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 South Carolina, starting at $4,882/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in South Carolina, up to $11,558/yr
Childcare Landscape Across South Carolina
Across South Carolina's 46 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $7,732/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $7,449/year, preschool $7,402/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in South Carolina - infant care runs only 4% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $4,882 to $11,558 (Δ $6,676/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 12.2% |
| Aiken County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 16.4% |
| Allendale County | $5,856 | $5,856 | $5,080 | 15.8% |
| Anderson County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 16.6% |
| Bamberg County | $5,856 | $5,856 | $5,080 | 13.3% |
| Barnwell County | $4,882 | $4,882 | $5,402 | 11.5% |
| Beaufort County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 12.7% |
| Berkeley County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 13.3% |
| Calhoun County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 11.0% |
| Charleston County | $10,506 | $9,775 | $9,565 | 13.3% |
| Cherokee County | $5,856 | $5,856 | $5,080 | 12.5% |
| Chester County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 12.2% |
| Chesterfield County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 13.2% |
| Clarendon County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 12.5% |
| Colleton County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 13.0% |
| Darlington County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 13.0% |
| Dillon County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 13.6% |
| Dorchester County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 14.0% |
| Edgefield County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 10.2% |
| Fairfield County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 13.7% |
| Florence County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 18.4% |
| Georgetown County | $11,558 | $10,835 | $8,459 | 19.3% |
| Greenville County | $10,506 | $9,775 | $9,565 | 14.7% |
| Greenwood County | $11,558 | $10,835 | $8,459 | 24.3% |
| Hampton County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 15.2% |
| Horry County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 17.3% |
| Jasper County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 9.6% |
| Kershaw County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 9.4% |
| Lancaster County | $11,558 | $10,835 | $8,459 | 16.0% |
| Laurens County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 11.1% |
| Lee County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 15.6% |
| Lexington County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 14.5% |
| Marion County | $5,856 | $5,856 | $5,080 | 16.3% |
| Marlboro County | $5,856 | $5,856 | $5,080 | 17.1% |
| McCormick County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 11.0% |
| Newberry County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 10.2% |
| Oconee County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 10.2% |
| Orangeburg County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 14.1% |
| Pickens County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 17.9% |
| Richland County | $10,506 | $9,775 | $9,565 | 17.6% |
| Saluda County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 11.9% |
| Spartanburg County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 16.7% |
| Sumter County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 19.2% |
| Union County | $5,774 | $5,774 | $6,294 | 13.6% |
| Williamsburg County | $6,095 | $6,095 | $6,615 | 14.9% |
| York County | $10,344 | $9,622 | $9,418 | 12.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does South Carolina rank on childcare costs nationally?
South Carolina's average center-based infant care ($7,732/yr) is cheaper than 76% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #11 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in South Carolina than the national average?
South Carolina's average infant care price runs 19% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within South Carolina?
Yes - South Carolina's 46 reporting counties range from $4,882 to $11,558/yr for infant care, a $6,676 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in South Carolina?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in South Carolina - infant care runs only 4% 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.