U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in North Carolina
Full-time care for an infant at a North Carolina child care center had a median price of $219 a week in 2022, about $949 a month. That is $41 below the U.S. median of $260, and No. 28 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $219a week, infant at a center
- $181a week, toddler at a center
- $144a week, preschooler at a center
- $175a week, infant at a home daycare
North Carolina prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $219 | $949 | $175 | $757 |
| Toddler | $181 | $785 | $154 | $666 |
| Preschool | $144 | $624 | $150 | $652 |
| School-age | $94 | $408 | $119 | $517 |
State medians of full-time weekly prices, 2022. A month is a week times 52, divided by 12.
- Under $171
- $171 to $234
- $234 to $307
- Over $307
- No federal price
- Inspection records
Daycare cost by North Carolina county
Weekly medians for full-time care in the 15 most populous counties. Center prices first, then the infant price at a home. Open "All 99 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $145 | $143 | $113 | $66 | $150 |
| Buncombe County | $191 | $165 | $175 | $135 | $177 |
| Cabarrus County | $258 | $204 | $172 | $99 | $174 |
| Cumberland County | $183 | $159 | $132 | $76 | $162 |
| Durham County | $317 | $239 | $188 | $102 | $228 |
| Forsyth County | $203 | $169 | $150 | $81 | $188 |
| Gaston County | $148 | $133 | $108 | $63 | $145 |
| Guilford County | $227 | $175 | $132 | $133 | $172 |
| Iredell County | $223 | $175 | $149 | $150 | $184 |
| Johnston County | $216 | $188 | $149 | $86 | $153 |
| Mecklenburg County | $284 | $251 | $171 | $90 | $189 |
| New Hanover County | $223 | $173 | $134 | $135 | $184 |
| Onslow County | $203 | $152 | $129 | $130 | $161 |
| Union County | $248 | $205 | $116 | $117 | $201 |
| Wake County | $307 | $251 | $189 | $99 | $217 |
All 99 North Carolina counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $145 | $143 | $113 | $66 | $150 |
| Alexander County | $159 | $131 | $118 | $68 | $108 |
| Alleghany County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $59 | $150 |
| Anson County | $159 | $131 | $125 | $68 | $145 |
| Ashe County | $169 | $125 | $117 | $64 | $114 |
| Avery County | $238 | $151 | $136 | $74 | $177 |
| Beaufort County | $185 | $160 | $135 | $78 | $167 |
| Bertie County | $164 | $138 | $152 | $82 | $144 |
| Bladen County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $59 | $150 |
| Brunswick County | $184 | $158 | $146 | $77 | $135 |
| Buncombe County | $191 | $165 | $175 | $135 | $177 |
| Burke County | $181 | $127 | $112 | $64 | $156 |
| Cabarrus County | $258 | $204 | $172 | $99 | $174 |
| Caldwell County | $164 | $137 | $115 | $63 | $150 |
| Camden County | $181 | $176 | $84 | $48 | $166 |
| Carteret County | $199 | $129 | $129 | $130 | $172 |
| Caswell County | $203 | $141 | $116 | $63 | |
| Catawba County | $183 | $142 | $109 | $110 | $172 |
| Chatham County | $228 | $182 | $165 | $87 | $163 |
| Cherokee County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $50 | $135 |
| Chowan County | $131 | $125 | $109 | $59 | $126 |
| Clay County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $50 | $135 |
| Cleveland County | $159 | $136 | $131 | $71 | $128 |
| Columbus County | $139 | $135 | $116 | $89 | $112 |
| Craven County | $200 | $167 | $147 | $80 | $177 |
| Cumberland County | $183 | $159 | $132 | $76 | $162 |
| Currituck County | $172 | $149 | $129 | $74 | $168 |
| Dare County | $230 | $204 | $177 | $102 | $192 |
| Davidson County | $181 | $159 | $129 | $74 | $183 |
| Davie County | $208 | $160 | $162 | $163 | $178 |
| Duplin County | $131 | $131 | $126 | $68 | $114 |
| Durham County | $317 | $239 | $188 | $102 | $228 |
| Edgecombe County | $190 | $147 | $124 | $67 | $143 |
| Forsyth County | $203 | $169 | $150 | $81 | $188 |
| Franklin County | $200 | $149 | $134 | $135 | $160 |
| Gaston County | $148 | $133 | $108 | $63 | $145 |
| Gates County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $50 | $135 |
| Granville County | $200 | $159 | $116 | $117 | $149 |
| Greene County | $129 | $115 | $115 | $89 | $116 |
| Guilford County | $227 | $175 | $132 | $133 | $172 |
| Halifax County | $174 | $129 | $111 | $60 | $143 |
| Harnett County | $197 | $139 | $114 | $115 | $164 |
| Haywood County | $203 | $135 | $109 | $110 | $179 |
| Henderson County | $195 | $149 | $129 | $130 | $178 |
| Hertford County | $155 | $133 | $132 | $71 | $122 |
| Hoke County | $150 | $135 | $125 | $96 | $140 |
| Hyde County | $170 | $153 | $110 | $85 | $140 |
| Iredell County | $223 | $175 | $149 | $150 | $184 |
| Jackson County | $181 | $176 | $84 | $48 | $166 |
| Johnston County | $216 | $188 | $149 | $86 | $153 |
| Jones County | $131 | $131 | $126 | $68 | $114 |
| Lee County | $145 | $118 | $106 | $62 | $136 |
| Lenoir County | $170 | $158 | $131 | $71 | $148 |
| Lincoln County | $197 | $171 | $140 | $80 | $192 |
| Macon County | $178 | $136 | $174 | $59 | $114 |
| Madison County | $149 | $134 | $109 | $70 | $150 |
| Martin County | $182 | $116 | $129 | $74 | $143 |
| McDowell County | $164 | $141 | $134 | $99 | $150 |
| Mecklenburg County | $284 | $251 | $171 | $90 | $189 |
| Mitchell County | $149 | $138 | $102 | $59 | $94 |
| Montgomery County | $181 | $131 | $109 | $59 | $114 |
| Moore County | $189 | $154 | $129 | $130 | $184 |
| Nash County | $157 | $148 | $134 | $77 | $192 |
| New Hanover County | $223 | $173 | $134 | $135 | $184 |
| Northampton County | $195 | $179 | $123 | $67 | $176 |
| Onslow County | $203 | $152 | $129 | $130 | $161 |
| Orange County | $355 | $292 | $199 | $105 | $271 |
| Pamlico County | $183 | $141 | $86 | $47 | $135 |
| Pasquotank County | $159 | $137 | $115 | $66 | $157 |
| Pender County | $199 | $180 | $138 | $73 | $157 |
| Perquimans County | $197 | $180 | $120 | $65 | $124 |
| Person County | $170 | $153 | $110 | $85 | $140 |
| Pitt County | $208 | $182 | $156 | $89 | $189 |
| Polk County | $181 | $173 | $85 | $46 | $158 |
| Randolph County | $191 | $142 | $119 | $120 | $149 |
| Richmond County | $137 | $131 | $109 | $59 | $183 |
| Robeson County | $148 | $130 | $111 | $60 | $171 |
| Rockingham County | $137 | $125 | $93 | $50 | $131 |
| Rowan County | $199 | $139 | $119 | $120 | $155 |
| Rutherford County | $161 | $142 | $113 | $65 | $142 |
| Sampson County | $137 | $125 | $109 | $59 | $143 |
| Scotland County | $142 | $120 | $114 | $62 | $155 |
| Stanly County | $186 | $163 | $147 | $80 | $162 |
| Stokes County | $170 | $131 | $125 | $68 | $143 |
| Surry County | $176 | $142 | $117 | $63 | $114 |
| Swain County | $154 | $109 | $108 | $83 | $117 |
| Transylvania County | $188 | $152 | $125 | $68 | $171 |
| Tyrrell County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $59 | $150 |
| Union County | $248 | $205 | $116 | $117 | $201 |
| Vance County | $161 | $139 | $129 | $74 | $166 |
| Wake County | $307 | $251 | $189 | $99 | $217 |
| Warren County | $137 | $125 | $125 | $68 | $138 |
| Washington County | $154 | $129 | $109 | $59 | $137 |
| Watauga County | $180 | $150 | $162 | $125 | $158 |
| Wayne County | $153 | $138 | $123 | $71 | $156 |
| Wilkes County | $183 | $159 | $109 | $59 | $126 |
| Wilson County | $175 | $152 | $136 | $74 | $112 |
| Yadkin County | $137 | $108 | $91 | $52 | $120 |
| Yancey County | $195 | $179 | $123 | $67 | $176 |
Head Start in North Carolina
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 473 North Carolina centers are on the federal list, with 15,933 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 23 | 658 |
| Buncombe County | 22 | 563 |
| Forsyth County | 21 | 514 |
| Cleveland County | 19 | 312 |
| Wayne County | 18 | 620 |
| Guilford County | 17 | 899 |
| Durham County | 16 | 459 |
| Henderson County | 16 | 208 |
| Orange County | 14 | 309 |
| Onslow County | 11 | 301 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for North Carolina
Daycare Hub reads each daycare's state inspection record in Texas only, for now. Daycare in Texas shows what a provider page holds. In North Carolina, the price tables above and the Head Start list are what we publish.
More states in the South
- Alabama$136
- Arkansas
- Delaware$238
- District of Columbia$490
- Florida$225
- Georgia$167
- Kentucky$159
- Louisiana$150
- Maryland$330
- Mississippi$132
- Oklahoma$212
- South Carolina$185
- Tennessee$189
- Texas$174
- Virginia$261
- West Virginia$168
Prices shown as "county median" are from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices (latest year available, 2022), as stated on our data sources page.