How much childcare costs in North Carolina
Center-based infant care in North Carolina costs about $13,918 a year in 2026 dollars (estimate), or $1,160 a month. In 2022 federal data it was $11,386, 13.6% of the median family income and 1.9× the HHS 7% affordability benchmark.
Cost by age and care type
Annual prices for full-time care, averaged across the 99 of North Carolina's 100 counties with a price and weighted by population. 2026 figures are estimates scaled by the BLS day care and preschool CPI to August 2026.
| Age | Center, 2022 | Center, 2026 est. | Home, 2022 | Home, 2026 est. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0 to 23 months) | $11,386 | $13,918 | $9,078 | $11,097 |
| Toddler (24 to 35 months) | $9,423 | $11,518 | $7,994 | $9,771 |
| Preschool (36 to 54 months) | $7,485 | $9,149 | $7,822 | $9,561 |
Family child care, in a provider's home, costs about $9,078 a year for an infant in North Carolina (2022 data): $2,308, or 20% less than a center.
Childcare cost by county in North Carolina
Orange County has the highest center-based infant price in North Carolina, $18,453 a year in 2022 data, and Alleghany County, Bladen County and Tyrrell County the lowest, $5,692: a gap of $12,761 a year (224% higher). These county prices are Department of Labor estimates: extrapolated from the state's 2018 survey using price changes in similar counties.
The federal file has a center-based infant price for 99 of North Carolina's 100 counties in 2022. The state figures above average only those counties.
| County | Center infant | Toddler | Preschool | Home infant | Family income | Infant share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | $18,453 | $15,202 | $10,326 | $14,075 | $122,332 | 15.1% |
| Durham County | $16,487 | $12,452 | $9,795 | $11,867 | $95,715 | 17.2% |
| Wake County | $15,979 | $13,061 | $9,809 | $11,260 | $121,682 | 13.1% |
| Mecklenburg County | $14,774 | $13,061 | $8,891 | $9,852 | $100,267 | 14.7% |
| Cabarrus County | $13,392 | $10,623 | $8,929 | $9,047 | $99,008 | 13.5% |
| Union County | $12,906 | $10,647 | $6,056 | $10,447 | $111,518 | 11.6% |
| Avery County | $12,352 | $7,840 | $7,077 | $9,197 | $70,968 | 17.4% |
| Dare County | $11,967 | $10,623 | $9,209 | $9,983 | $101,908 | 11.7% |
| Chatham County | $11,834 | $9,488 | $8,604 | $8,458 | $104,609 | 11.3% |
| Guilford County | $11,779 | $9,124 | $6,856 | $8,955 | $80,635 | 14.6% |
| Iredell County | $11,601 | $9,077 | $7,732 | $9,552 | $86,894 | 13.4% |
| New Hanover County | $11,601 | $9,020 | $6,959 | $9,552 | $92,806 | 12.5% |
| Johnston County | $11,255 | $9,762 | $7,757 | $7,955 | $93,151 | 12.1% |
| 3 countiesCherokee County, Clay County, Gates County | $10,864 | $7,134 | $4,812 | $6,998 | $60,917 to $74,795 | 14.5 to 17.8% |
| Davie County | $10,828 | $8,299 | $8,402 | $9,253 | $85,836 | 12.6% |
| Pitt County | $10,828 | $9,475 | $8,092 | $9,827 | $73,970 | 14.6% |
| Haywood County | $10,572 | $7,018 | $5,670 | $9,300 | $78,553 | 13.5% |
| Caswell County | $10,531 | $7,317 | $6,037 | n/a | $66,451 | 15.8% |
| Forsyth County | $10,531 | $8,776 | $7,814 | $9,791 | $79,040 | 13.3% |
| Onslow County | $10,531 | $7,886 | $6,701 | $8,358 | $67,237 | 15.7% |
| Craven County | $10,417 | $8,663 | $7,643 | $9,197 | $77,888 | 13.4% |
| Franklin County | $10,411 | $7,732 | $6,959 | $8,298 | $82,604 | 12.6% |
| Granville County | $10,411 | $8,247 | $6,031 | $7,761 | $81,516 | 12.8% |
| Pender County | $10,371 | $9,370 | $7,170 | $8,179 | $90,057 | 11.5% |
| Rowan County | $10,352 | $7,217 | $6,185 | $8,059 | $73,551 | 14.1% |
| Carteret County | $10,339 | $6,701 | $6,701 | $8,955 | $86,312 | 12.0% |
| Lincoln County | $10,258 | $8,900 | $7,255 | $9,983 | $88,501 | 11.6% |
| Perquimans County | $10,246 | $9,342 | $6,228 | $6,450 | $76,291 | 13.4% |
| Harnett County | $10,233 | $7,217 | $5,927 | $8,543 | $78,039 | 13.1% |
| 2 countiesNorthampton County, Yancey County | $10,129 | $9,304 | $6,390 | $9,138 | $59,301 to $71,351 | 14.2 to 17.1% |
| Henderson County | $10,114 | $7,732 | $6,701 | $9,253 | $81,406 | 12.4% |
| Randolph County | $9,935 | $7,371 | $6,185 | $7,761 | $67,531 | 14.7% |
| Buncombe County | $9,920 | $8,579 | $9,099 | $9,223 | $85,099 | 11.7% |
| Edgecombe County | $9,904 | $7,643 | $6,454 | $7,417 | $54,948 | 18.0% |
| Moore County | $9,817 | $7,990 | $6,701 | $9,552 | $95,534 | 10.3% |
| Transylvania County | $9,791 | $7,926 | $6,511 | $8,901 | $77,573 | 12.6% |
| Stanly County | $9,677 | $8,493 | $7,643 | $8,435 | $78,623 | 12.3% |
| Beaufort County | $9,631 | $8,326 | $7,032 | $8,662 | $69,959 | 13.8% |
| Brunswick County | $9,560 | $8,234 | $7,572 | $7,037 | $85,162 | 11.2% |
| Cumberland County | $9,535 | $8,288 | $6,865 | $8,423 | $66,288 | 14.4% |
| Wilkes County | $9,524 | $8,266 | $5,662 | $6,527 | $60,492 | 15.7% |
| Catawba County | $9,519 | $7,371 | $5,670 | $8,955 | $73,996 | 12.9% |
| Pamlico County | $9,511 | $7,343 | $4,482 | $6,998 | $78,649 | 12.1% |
| Martin County | $9,445 | $6,011 | $6,690 | $7,417 | $59,691 | 15.8% |
| 2 countiesCamden County, Jackson County | $9,404 | $9,144 | $4,379 | $8,640 | $71,282 to $88,953 | 10.6 to 13.2% |
| Burke County | $9,403 | $6,613 | $5,809 | $8,111 | $66,702 | 14.1% |
| Davidson County | $9,403 | $8,269 | $6,697 | $9,515 | $73,120 | 12.9% |
| Polk County | $9,393 | $9,016 | $4,442 | $8,217 | $77,388 | 12.1% |
| Montgomery County | $9,392 | $6,794 | $5,662 | $5,934 | $62,796 | 15.0% |
| Watauga County | $9,380 | $7,799 | $8,400 | $8,235 | $85,689 | 10.9% |
| Macon County | $9,261 | $7,077 | $9,043 | $5,934 | $68,113 | 13.6% |
| Surry County | $9,164 | $7,360 | $6,058 | $5,934 | $71,903 | 12.7% |
| Wilson County | $9,108 | $7,926 | $7,077 | $5,806 | $68,993 | 13.2% |
| Halifax County | $9,064 | $6,729 | $5,750 | $7,417 | $54,419 | 16.7% |
| Currituck County | $8,947 | $7,752 | $6,697 | $8,735 | $100,195 | 8.9% |
| 2 countiesHyde County, Person County | $8,848 | $7,980 | $5,719 | $7,266 | $51,263 to $73,891 | 12.0 to 17.3% |
| Lenoir County | $8,823 | $8,210 | $6,794 | $7,710 | $56,723 | 15.6% |
| Stokes County | $8,823 | $6,794 | $6,511 | $7,417 | $68,889 | 12.8% |
| Ashe County | $8,762 | $6,511 | $6,102 | $5,934 | $62,380 | 14.0% |
| Bertie County | $8,538 | $7,199 | $7,887 | $7,477 | $59,840 | 14.3% |
| Caldwell County | $8,538 | $7,140 | $6,001 | $7,780 | $67,132 | 12.7% |
| McDowell County | $8,523 | $7,350 | $6,976 | $7,799 | $65,510 | 13.0% |
| Rutherford County | $8,377 | $7,386 | $5,860 | $7,363 | $62,564 | 13.4% |
| Vance County | $8,351 | $7,222 | $6,697 | $8,633 | $58,310 | 14.3% |
| Pasquotank County | $8,286 | $7,116 | $5,972 | $8,165 | $77,228 | 10.7% |
| Alexander County | $8,263 | $6,833 | $6,139 | $5,615 | $72,821 | 11.3% |
| Anson County | $8,254 | $6,794 | $6,511 | $7,550 | $60,146 | 13.7% |
| Cleveland County | $8,254 | $7,077 | $6,794 | $6,675 | $64,112 | 12.9% |
| Nash County | $8,178 | $7,694 | $6,976 | $9,983 | $69,593 | 11.8% |
| Hertford County | $8,053 | $6,907 | $6,860 | $6,327 | $60,148 | 13.4% |
| Washington County | $8,014 | $6,729 | $5,658 | $7,120 | $58,947 | 13.6% |
| Swain County | $7,982 | $5,676 | $5,616 | $6,093 | $72,516 | 11.0% |
| Wayne County | $7,978 | $7,178 | $6,418 | $8,111 | $67,681 | 11.8% |
| Hoke County | $7,775 | $7,019 | $6,499 | $7,266 | $70,671 | 11.0% |
| Mitchell County | $7,759 | $7,156 | $5,302 | $4,905 | $71,820 | 10.8% |
| Madison County | $7,738 | $6,964 | $5,662 | $7,775 | $81,641 | 9.5% |
| Gaston County | $7,687 | $6,939 | $5,624 | $7,539 | $78,252 | 9.8% |
| Robeson County | $7,685 | $6,738 | $5,775 | $8,901 | $50,612 | 15.2% |
| Alamance County | $7,550 | $7,448 | $5,859 | $7,799 | $78,033 | 9.7% |
| Lee County | $7,550 | $6,158 | $5,531 | $7,092 | $67,217 | 11.2% |
| Scotland County | $7,400 | $6,228 | $5,919 | $8,070 | $51,937 | 14.2% |
| Columbus County | $7,239 | $7,019 | $6,031 | $5,846 | $55,941 | 12.9% |
| Yadkin County | $7,123 | $5,632 | $4,743 | $6,239 | $72,813 | 9.8% |
| Richmond County | $7,115 | $6,794 | $5,662 | $9,494 | $58,611 | 12.1% |
| Rockingham County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $4,812 | $6,823 | $63,904 | 11.1% |
| Sampson County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $5,662 | $7,422 | $63,607 | 11.2% |
| Warren County | $7,115 | $6,511 | $6,511 | $7,162 | $55,765 | 12.8% |
| Chowan County | $6,831 | $6,511 | $5,662 | $6,573 | $68,042 | 10.0% |
| 2 countiesDuplin County, Jones County | $6,831 | $6,794 | $6,568 | $5,934 | $63,982 to $68,705 | 9.9 to 10.7% |
| Greene County | $6,703 | $5,979 | $5,979 | $6,055 | $61,301 | 10.9% |
| 3 countiesAlleghany County, Bladen County, Tyrrell County | $5,692 | $5,662 | $5,662 | $7,792 | $54,679 to $59,396 | 9.6 to 10.4% |
Annual median prices in 2022 data, not quotes. Counties with identical prices are grouped. All 99 center-based infant prices here are Department of Labor estimates: extrapolated from the state's 2018 survey using price changes in similar counties. How prices are estimated.
Neighboring states
- Georgia$886/mo infant, 2026 est.
- South Carolina$978/mo infant, 2026 est.
- Tennessee$999/mo infant, 2026 est.
- Virginia$1,382/mo infant, 2026 est.
See how North Carolina compares in the full ranking of childcare costs by state.
Frequently asked questions
How much is daycare in North Carolina per month?
Center-based infant care in North Carolina costs about $1,160 a month in estimated 2026 dollars ($949 a month in 2022 federal data). In a center, toddler care runs about $960 and preschool about $762 a month in 2026 dollars, and home-based infant care about $925. These are population-weighted averages across the 99 of North Carolina's 100 counties with a price; actual prices vary by provider.
What is the cheapest county for childcare in North Carolina?
Orange County has the highest center-based infant price in North Carolina, $18,453 a year in 2022 data, and Alleghany County, Bladen County and Tyrrell County the lowest, $5,692: a gap of $12,761 a year (224% higher). These county prices are Department of Labor estimates: extrapolated from the state's 2018 survey using price changes in similar counties.
How much of a family's income does childcare take in North Carolina?
Center-based infant care takes about 13.6% of the median family income in North Carolina ($11,386 against $83,448, 2022 data), 1.9× the HHS 7% affordability benchmark. That ranks 26 of 49 for burden, where 1 is the heaviest. Across counties it ranges from 8.9% in Currituck County to 18.0% in Edgecombe County.
Source: National Database of Childcare Prices, U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, county file NDCP2022.xlsx (2022 data for North Carolina). 2026 estimates use the BLS CPI-U day care and preschool index (series CUUR0000SEEB03) to August 2026. Methodology · Download every county (CSV)