Avg Infant (Center)
$8,974 /yr
Across 55 West Virginia counties
Statewide childcare costs · DOL NDCP 2022
Childcare costs in West Virginia
According to PlainChildcare's state ranking (DOL NDCP county averages), West Virginia ranks #15 of 45 jurisdictions by average center-based infant care price (cheapest = #1).
Data updated 2026-09-24
- $8,974
- Avg infant (center)
- -6%
- Vs. national avg
- #15 of 45
- Corpus placement
NDCP state market brief
West Virginia statewide sticker posture
- PRICE PAR vs national NDCP mean
- AVG $8,974 Center infant avg
- SPREAD $2,629 County min–max gap
- RANK #15 of 45 National state rank
- COUNT 55 Reporting counties
- MIN $7,512 Cheapest county
- MAX $10,141 Priciest county
- PHOTO Wyoming Nearest avg peer
Avg-infant peers
Avg Toddler (Center)
$8,493 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Avg Preschool (Center)
$8,470 /yr
Center-based weighted average
Infant cost spread
$7,512 – $10,141
Lowest to highest county
West Virginia center-based childcare averages by age
Annual cost averaged across all reporting counties. Source: DOL Women's Bureau NDCP 2022.
Where West Virginia ranks on infant-care cost
Average center-based infant care, every U.S. state with reported prices
$8,974 Among the most affordable more affordable than 67% 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
West Virginia infant care vs. HHS 7%-of-income affordability ceiling 56.1%
HHS 7% threshold
Bar shows West Virginia 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 West Virginia, starting at $7,512/yr
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Most Expensive Childcare
Counties with the highest infant care costs in West Virginia, up to $10,141/yr
Childcare Landscape Across West Virginia
Across West Virginia's 55 counties with NDCP price coverage, center-based infant care averages $8,974/year (PAR vs the national mean), toddler $8,493/year, preschool $8,470/year. The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in West Virginia - infant care runs only 6% above preschool, a narrower spread than most states. County stickers run $7,512 to $10,141 (Δ $2,629/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour County | $9,289 | $8,818 | $8,792 | 20.9% |
| Berkeley County | $9,188 | $8,753 | $9,167 | 12.5% |
| Boone County | $9,601 | $9,115 | $9,093 | 17.1% |
| Braxton County | $9,460 | $8,978 | $8,947 | 22.4% |
| Brooke County | $8,102 | $7,703 | $7,959 | 15.6% |
| Cabell County | $8,065 | $7,683 | $8,043 | 16.5% |
| Calhoun County | $8,657 | $8,222 | $8,418 | 22.2% |
| Clay County | $7,512 | $7,083 | $6,869 | 18.1% |
| Doddridge County | $8,547 | $8,120 | $8,338 | 15.1% |
| Fayette County | $8,838 | $8,395 | $8,608 | 17.6% |
| Gilmer County | $9,221 | $8,751 | $6,959 | 17.9% |
| Grant County | $9,127 | $8,664 | $8,640 | 17.3% |
| Greenbrier County | $8,654 | $8,230 | $8,508 | 19.0% |
| Hampshire County | $9,783 | $9,286 | $9,252 | 17.7% |
| Hancock County | $8,749 | $8,317 | $8,577 | 15.2% |
| Hardy County | $10,141 | $9,630 | $9,860 | 20.6% |
| Harrison County | $8,458 | $8,052 | $8,383 | 15.1% |
| Jackson County | $9,483 | $9,008 | $9,233 | 17.2% |
| Jefferson County | $8,594 | $8,201 | $8,698 | 9.2% |
| Kanawha County | $8,194 | $7,805 | $8,155 | 14.8% |
| Lewis County | $8,930 | $8,483 | $8,703 | 17.7% |
| Lincoln County | $9,822 | $9,319 | $7,305 | 19.3% |
| Logan County | $9,817 | $9,319 | $9,292 | 23.3% |
| Marion County | $8,660 | $8,242 | $8,572 | 14.4% |
| Marshall County | $8,469 | $8,051 | $8,299 | 14.6% |
| Mason County | $8,937 | $8,485 | $8,468 | 16.8% |
| McDowell County | $7,788 | $7,343 | $7,120 | 27.6% |
| Mercer County | $8,757 | $8,325 | $8,587 | 18.9% |
| Mineral County | $9,231 | $8,765 | $8,971 | 14.3% |
| Mingo County | $8,709 | $8,273 | $8,479 | 22.7% |
| Monongalia County | $7,934 | $7,570 | $8,003 | 13.0% |
| Monroe County | $9,542 | $9,057 | $9,028 | 18.2% |
| Morgan County | $9,428 | $8,961 | $9,227 | 15.5% |
| Nicholas County | $9,508 | $9,025 | $8,993 | 19.5% |
| Ohio County | $7,627 | $7,269 | $7,634 | 13.7% |
| Pendleton County | $9,301 | $8,825 | $6,960 | 17.7% |
| Pleasants County | $8,079 | $7,680 | $7,920 | 13.5% |
| Pocahontas County | $9,268 | $8,803 | $9,018 | 22.2% |
| Preston County | $9,511 | $9,032 | $9,248 | 15.8% |
| Putnam County | $8,485 | $8,084 | $8,478 | 11.2% |
| Raleigh County | $8,836 | $8,401 | $8,671 | 18.4% |
| Randolph County | $9,018 | $8,567 | $8,799 | 17.6% |
| Ritchie County | $9,317 | $8,844 | $8,811 | 19.0% |
| Roane County | $9,285 | $8,808 | $6,833 | 22.5% |
| Summers County | $10,126 | $9,613 | $9,584 | 23.6% |
| Taylor County | $8,979 | $8,533 | $8,765 | 17.0% |
| Tucker County | $9,630 | $9,138 | $7,158 | 17.8% |
| Tyler County | $9,475 | $8,998 | $9,207 | 16.0% |
| Upshur County | $9,010 | $8,562 | $8,806 | 18.1% |
| Wayne County | $9,059 | $8,609 | $8,846 | 17.2% |
| Webster County | $8,874 | $8,424 | $8,396 | 20.4% |
| Wetzel County | $9,144 | $8,686 | $8,918 | 18.0% |
| Wirt County | $9,293 | $7,044 | $6,831 | 17.6% |
| Wood County | $8,449 | $8,039 | $8,349 | 15.5% |
| Wyoming County | $9,630 | $9,143 | $9,122 | 21.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does West Virginia rank on childcare costs nationally?
West Virginia's average center-based infant care ($8,974/yr) is cheaper than 67% of the 45 U.S. states with reported NDCP prices (national rank #15 of 45, cheapest = #1).
Is childcare more or less expensive in West Virginia than the national average?
West Virginia's average infant care price runs 6% below the national NDCP average ($9,592/yr) - a PAR band in this site's sticker scale.
Does childcare cost vary a lot within West Virginia?
Yes - West Virginia's 55 reporting counties range from $7,512 to $10,141/yr for infant care, a $2,629 spread.
How does childcare cost change by child age in West Virginia?
The age-based cost curve is unusually flat in West Virginia - infant care runs only 6% 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.