Cheapest Childcare in Tennessee
Floor price 26% below the Tennessee infant average
Ranked by reported cost only, not a quality, safety, or licensing rating. Verify licensing and inspection history directly with providers or Tennessee's Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency before choosing care.
Counties with Cheapest Childcare
| # | County | Infant Care |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur County | $5,807/yr |
| 2 | Bedford County | $6,811/yr |
| 3 | Benton County | $6,811/yr |
| 4 | Bledsoe County | $6,811/yr |
| 5 | Campbell County | $6,811/yr |
| 6 | Cannon County | $6,811/yr |
| 7 | Carroll County | $6,811/yr |
| 8 | Carter County | $6,811/yr |
| 9 | Chester County | $6,811/yr |
| 10 | Claiborne County | $6,811/yr |
| 11 | Clay County | $6,811/yr |
| 12 | Cocke County | $6,811/yr |
| 13 | Coffee County | $6,811/yr |
| 14 | Crockett County | $6,811/yr |
| 15 | Cumberland County | $6,811/yr |
| 16 | DeKalb County | $6,811/yr |
| 17 | Dickson County | $6,811/yr |
| 18 | Dyer County | $6,811/yr |
| 19 | Fentress County | $6,811/yr |
| 20 | Franklin County | $6,811/yr |
| 21 | Gibson County | $6,811/yr |
| 22 | Giles County | $6,811/yr |
| 23 | Grainger County | $6,811/yr |
| 24 | Grundy County | $6,811/yr |
| 25 | Hamblen County | $6,811/yr |
| 26 | Hancock County | $6,811/yr |
| 27 | Hardeman County | $6,811/yr |
| 28 | Hardin County | $6,811/yr |
| 29 | Hawkins County | $6,811/yr |
| 30 | Haywood County | $6,811/yr |
| 31 | Henderson County | $6,811/yr |
| 32 | Hickman County | $6,811/yr |
| 33 | Houston County | $6,811/yr |
| 34 | Humphreys County | $6,811/yr |
| 35 | Jackson County | $6,811/yr |
| 36 | Jefferson County | $6,811/yr |
| 37 | Johnson County | $6,811/yr |
| 38 | Lake County | $6,811/yr |
| 39 | Lauderdale County | $6,811/yr |
| 40 | Lawrence County | $6,811/yr |
| 41 | Lewis County | $6,811/yr |
| 42 | Lincoln County | $6,811/yr |
| 43 | Macon County | $6,811/yr |
| 44 | Marion County | $6,811/yr |
| 45 | Marshall County | $6,811/yr |
| 46 | McMinn County | $6,811/yr |
| 47 | McNairy County | $6,811/yr |
| 48 | Meigs County | $6,811/yr |
| 49 | Monroe County | $6,811/yr |
| 50 | Moore County | $6,811/yr |
Deep floor gap inside Tennessee
Signature read: the cheapest price sits 26% below the Tennessee infant average — a deep in-state floor gap on this NDCP list. Decatur County posts $5,807/year — 26% under the $7,860 state average — with toddler $5,068 and preschool $5,068.
All 50 priced Tennessee 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 $7,860/year.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) · 2022
DOL Women's Bureau NDCP · Tennessee cheapest-county board, 2022
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.