U.S. Department of Labor price data
Daycare cost in South Carolina
Full-time care for an infant at a South Carolina child care center had a median price of $185 a week in 2022, about $800 a month. That is $76 below the U.S. median of $260, and No. 32 of 45 states counting from the most expensive.
- $185a week, infant at a center
- $173a week, toddler at a center
- $170a week, preschooler at a center
- $137a week, infant at a home daycare
South Carolina prices by age
| Age | Center, a week | Center, a month | Home, a week | Home, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | $185 | $800 | $137 | $595 |
| Toddler | $173 | $751 | $137 | $595 |
| Preschool | $170 | $735 | $134 | $582 |
| School-age | $138 | $598 | $100 | $432 |
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 South 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 46 counties" for the rest, A to Z.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Anderson County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Beaufort County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Berkeley County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Charleston County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Dorchester County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Florence County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Greenville County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Horry County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Lexington County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Pickens County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Richland County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Spartanburg County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Sumter County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| York County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
All 46 South Carolina counties
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | School-age | Infant at a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Aiken County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Allendale County | $113 | $113 | $98 | $131 | $116 |
| Anderson County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Bamberg County | $113 | $113 | $98 | $131 | $116 |
| Barnwell County | $94 | $94 | $104 | $137 | $117 |
| Beaufort County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Berkeley County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Calhoun County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Charleston County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Cherokee County | $113 | $113 | $98 | $131 | $116 |
| Chester County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Chesterfield County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Clarendon County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Colleton County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Darlington County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Dillon County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Dorchester County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Edgefield County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Fairfield County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Florence County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Georgetown County | $222 | $208 | $163 | $169 | $154 |
| Greenville County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Greenwood County | $222 | $208 | $163 | $169 | $154 |
| Hampton County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Horry County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Jasper County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Kershaw County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Lancaster County | $222 | $208 | $163 | $169 | $154 |
| Laurens County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Lee County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Lexington County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Marion County | $113 | $113 | $98 | $131 | $116 |
| Marlboro County | $113 | $113 | $98 | $131 | $116 |
| McCormick County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Newberry County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Oconee County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Orangeburg County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Pickens County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Richland County | $202 | $188 | $184 | $139 | $139 |
| Saluda County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| Spartanburg County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Sumter County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
| Union County | $111 | $111 | $121 | $128 | $133 |
| Williamsburg County | $117 | $117 | $127 | $134 | $134 |
| York County | $199 | $185 | $181 | $138 | $138 |
Head Start in South Carolina
Head Start and Early Head Start are free federal programs for children from families with low incomes. 230 South Carolina centers are on the federal list, with 9,631 funded places. The 10 counties with the most centers:
| County | Centers | Funded places |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 25 | 706 |
| Greenville County | 17 | 583 |
| Spartanburg County | 17 | 718 |
| Florence County | 14 | 422 |
| Berkeley County | 11 | 475 |
| Richland County | 10 | 533 |
| Anderson County | 9 | 315 |
| Orangeburg County | 8 | 319 |
| Sumter County | 8 | 435 |
| Beaufort County | 7 | 322 |
Source: Head Start center locator service locations. To apply, contact the center or its grantee.
Inspection records for South 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 South 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
- North Carolina$219
- Oklahoma$212
- 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.