Cheapest Childcare in Tennessee
Floor county 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 | White County | $6,811/yr |
| 3 | Weakley County | $6,811/yr |
| 4 | Wayne County | $6,811/yr |
| 5 | Warren County | $6,811/yr |
| 6 | Van Buren County | $6,811/yr |
| 7 | Union County | $6,811/yr |
| 8 | Unicoi County | $6,811/yr |
| 9 | Trousdale County | $6,811/yr |
| 10 | Tipton County | $6,811/yr |
| 11 | Stewart County | $6,811/yr |
| 12 | Smith County | $6,811/yr |
| 13 | Sequatchie County | $6,811/yr |
| 14 | Scott County | $6,811/yr |
| 15 | Roane County | $6,811/yr |
| 16 | Rhea County | $6,811/yr |
| 17 | Polk County | $6,811/yr |
| 18 | Pickett County | $6,811/yr |
| 19 | Perry County | $6,811/yr |
| 20 | Overton County | $6,811/yr |
| 21 | Obion County | $6,811/yr |
| 22 | Morgan County | $6,811/yr |
| 23 | Moore County | $6,811/yr |
| 24 | Monroe County | $6,811/yr |
| 25 | Meigs County | $6,811/yr |
| 26 | Marshall County | $6,811/yr |
| 27 | Marion County | $6,811/yr |
| 28 | Macon County | $6,811/yr |
| 29 | McNairy County | $6,811/yr |
| 30 | McMinn County | $6,811/yr |
| 31 | Lincoln County | $6,811/yr |
| 32 | Lewis County | $6,811/yr |
| 33 | Lawrence County | $6,811/yr |
| 34 | Lauderdale County | $6,811/yr |
| 35 | Lake County | $6,811/yr |
| 36 | Johnson County | $6,811/yr |
| 37 | Jefferson County | $6,811/yr |
| 38 | Jackson County | $6,811/yr |
| 39 | Humphreys County | $6,811/yr |
| 40 | Houston County | $6,811/yr |
| 41 | Hickman County | $6,811/yr |
| 42 | Henderson County | $6,811/yr |
| 43 | Haywood County | $6,811/yr |
| 44 | Hawkins County | $6,811/yr |
| 45 | Hardin County | $6,811/yr |
| 46 | Hardeman County | $6,811/yr |
| 47 | Hancock County | $6,811/yr |
| 48 | Hamblen County | $6,811/yr |
| 49 | Grundy County | $6,811/yr |
| 50 | Grainger County | $6,811/yr |
Deep floor gap inside Tennessee
Signature read: the #1 county 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.