Avg Infant (Center)
$7,860 /yr
Across 95 Tennessee counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in Tennessee
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), Tennessee ranks #12 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $7,860
- Avg infant (center)
- -18%
- Vs. national avg
- #12 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
Tennessee statewide sticker posture
- PRICE MID vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $7,860 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $5,200 County min–max gap
- RANK #12 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 95 Reporting counties
- MIN $5,807 Cheapest county
- MAX $11,007 Priciest county
- PHOTO South Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$6,190 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$6,190 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$5,807 – $11,007
Lowest to highest county
Tennessee center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where Tennessee ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$7,860 Among the most affordable more affordable than 73% 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
Tennessee infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 49.1%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows Tennessee 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 Tennessee, starting at $5,807/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in Tennessee, up to $11,007/yr
Childcare Landscape Across Tennessee
Across Tennessee's 95 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $7,860/year (MID vs the national mean), toddler $6,190/year, preschool $6,190/year. Unusually, Tennessee's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age. County stickers run $5,807 to $11,007 (Δ $5,200/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 18.2% |
| Bedford County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.4% |
| Benton County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.3% |
| Bledsoe County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.2% |
| Blount County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 15.5% |
| Bradley County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 18.1% |
| Campbell County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.1% |
| Cannon County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.8% |
| Carroll County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.7% |
| Carter County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.2% |
| Cheatham County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 14.3% |
| Chester County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.9% |
| Claiborne County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 16.1% |
| Clay County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 17.2% |
| Cocke County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.1% |
| Coffee County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.9% |
| Crockett County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.5% |
| Cumberland County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.2% |
| Davidson County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 15.3% |
| Decatur County | $5,807 | $5,068 | $5,068 | 12.0% |
| DeKalb County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.5% |
| Dickson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 9.9% |
| Dyer County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.8% |
| Fayette County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 13.6% |
| Fentress County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.2% |
| Franklin County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.8% |
| Gibson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.3% |
| Giles County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.0% |
| Grainger County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.5% |
| Greene County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 21.2% |
| Grundy County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.2% |
| Hamblen County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.7% |
| Hamilton County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 15.9% |
| Hancock County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 21.4% |
| Hardeman County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.6% |
| Hardin County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.5% |
| Hawkins County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.7% |
| Haywood County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.2% |
| Henderson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.2% |
| Henry County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 22.9% |
| Hickman County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.5% |
| Houston County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.2% |
| Humphreys County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.6% |
| Jackson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 16.1% |
| Jefferson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.3% |
| Johnson County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.3% |
| Knox County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 16.0% |
| Lake County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 21.2% |
| Lauderdale County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.6% |
| Lawrence County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.3% |
| Lewis County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.3% |
| Lincoln County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.1% |
| Loudon County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 14.7% |
| Macon County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.3% |
| Madison County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 19.9% |
| Marion County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.7% |
| Marshall County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 10.4% |
| Maury County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 15.4% |
| McMinn County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.7% |
| McNairy County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.5% |
| Meigs County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.5% |
| Monroe County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.1% |
| Montgomery County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 16.2% |
| Moore County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 9.8% |
| Morgan County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.1% |
| Obion County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.5% |
| Overton County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.6% |
| Perry County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.2% |
| Pickett County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.4% |
| Polk County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.7% |
| Putnam County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 20.2% |
| Rhea County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.3% |
| Roane County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 10.2% |
| Robertson County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 14.8% |
| Rutherford County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 14.1% |
| Scott County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 17.1% |
| Sequatchie County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.8% |
| Sevier County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 18.3% |
| Shelby County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 18.5% |
| Smith County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.8% |
| Stewart County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.9% |
| Sullivan County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 20.2% |
| Sumner County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 13.4% |
| Tipton County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 9.6% |
| Trousdale County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.0% |
| Unicoi County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.7% |
| Union County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 11.9% |
| Van Buren County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 15.2% |
| Warren County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 12.9% |
| Washington County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 18.8% |
| Wayne County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 13.8% |
| Weakley County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.3% |
| White County | $6,811 | $5,720 | $5,720 | 14.1% |
| Williamson County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 8.7% |
| Wilson County | $11,007 | $7,610 | $7,610 | 12.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Tennessee rank on childcare costs nationally?
Tennessee's average center-based infant care ($7,860/yr) is cheaper than 73% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #12 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in Tennessee than the national average?
Tennessee's average infant care price runs 18% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a MID band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within Tennessee?
Yes - Tennessee's 95 reporting counties range from $5,807 to $11,007/yr for infant care, a $5,200 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in Tennessee?
Unusually, Tennessee's toddler rate runs at or below its preschool rate, a reversal of the pattern most states show where cost eases as children age.
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.