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Open calculator: Worth workingDaycare costs by state
Daycare costs in North Carolina. About $1,163/month for infant center care, CPI adjusted to August 2026.
A starting point across the state. Explore your county for the more local picture.
Infant care in a center
$1,163/ month
County sources 2015–2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $268
- Monthly
- $1,163
- Annual
- $13,952
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
19.3%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $72,388 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,1632015 source | $9252015 source |
| Toddler | $9622015 source | $8152015 source |
| Preschool | $7642015 source | $7982015 source |
| School-age | $5002015 source | $6322015 source |
One child. Weekly × 52 ÷ 12 for monthly; weekly × 52 for annual. School-age coverage varies and often means care around school hours. Age definitions.
Population-weighted mean of available county medians. Each county is adjusted before averaging. Coverage varies by age and setting; this is not an official statewide median.
Get closer to home
Explore your county.
Each local page shows available age groups, source years, income context and nearby counties.
| County | Center | Home-based | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County | $790 | $500 | 2022 |
| Montgomery County | $957 | $604 | 2022 |
| Moore County | $1,000 | $973 | 2022 |
| Nash County | $833 | $1,017 | 2022 |
| New Hanover County | $1,182 | $973 | 2022 |
| Northampton County | $1,032 | $931 | 2022 |
| Onslow County | $1,073 | $851 | 2022 |
| Orange County | $1,880 | $1,434 | 2022 |
| Pamlico County | $969 | $713 | 2022 |
| Pasquotank County | $844 | $832 | 2022 |
| Pender County | $1,056 | $833 | 2022 |
| Perquimans County | $1,044 | $657 | 2022 |
| Person County | $901 | $740 | 2022 |
| Pitt County | $1,103 | $1,001 | 2022 |
| Polk County | $957 | $837 | 2022 |
| Randolph County | $1,012 | $791 | 2022 |
| Richmond County | $725 | $967 | 2022 |
| Robeson County | $783 | $907 | 2022 |
| Rockingham County | $725 | $695 | 2022 |
| Rowan County | $1,054 | $821 | 2022 |
| Rutherford County | $853 | $750 | 2022 |
| Sampson County | $725 | $756 | 2022 |
| Scotland County | $754 | $822 | 2022 |
| Stanly County | $986 | $859 | 2022 |
| Stokes County | $899 | $756 | 2022 |
| Surry County | $934 | $604 | 2022 |
| Swain County | $813 | $621 | 2022 |
| Transylvania County | $997 | $907 | 2022 |
| Tyrrell County | $580 | $794 | 2022 |
| Union County | $1,315 | $1,064 | 2022 |
| Vance County | $851 | $879 | 2022 |
| Wake County | $1,628 | $1,147 | 2022 |
| Warren County | $725 | $730 | 2022 |
| Washington County | $816 | $725 | 2022 |
| Watauga County | $956 | $839 | 2022 |
| Wayne County | $813 | $826 | 2022 |
| Wilkes County | $970 | $665 | 2022 |
| Wilson County | $928 | $591 | 2022 |
| Yadkin County | $726 | $636 | 2022 |
| Yancey County | $1,032 | $931 | 2022 |
City pages in North Carolina
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Use a calculator to compare costs with your own income and provider quotes.
Daycare vs. nanny
Compare center, home-based care, a nanny and a nanny share—including employer taxes.
Open calculator: Daycare vs. nannyDependent care FSA vs. tax credit
Compare federal tax benefits with the rules for 2025 and 2026.
Open calculator: FSA vs. tax creditChildcare subsidy income check
Compare your income with published state limits and find the application.
Open calculator: Subsidy income checkHelp paying for care
Check the assistance
available in North Carolina.
The January 2025 federal table lists $5,000 per month as the initial income threshold for a family of four.
Current limits and other eligibility rules may differ.
See limits & applicationQuestions about care
in North Carolina.
How much does daycare cost per month in North Carolina?
The infant center estimate is $1,163 per month. The underlying source is dated 2015 and is adjusted to August 2026 with the childcare CPI. Individual provider quotes vary.
How much is home-based childcare?
The infant home-based estimate is $925 per month, from a 2015 source adjusted to August 2026.
Does the estimate include deposits and extra fees?
The county figure is a tuition benchmark. Deposits, registration, supplies, meals, late pickup and paid closures may be billed separately. Ask for a written payment schedule.
What does the share of income mean?
Annual center care divided by $72,388 median household income gives 19.3%. Income comes from 2020–2024 ACS 5-year. The periods differ, so this is an illustrative comparison, not a current household survey.
Can I get help paying for daycare in North Carolina?
The state assistance page links to the current program. Income is only one part of eligibility; work or education, your child’s age, assets and available funding can also matter.
Sources behind this page.
Retrieved 2026-10-01. The displayed figures are rounded; calculations use unrounded values.
| Age / setting | Source | Original weekly | CPI factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2015–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
CPI: BLS CUUR0000SEEB03, August 2026 index 403.749, divided by the source-year annual index. NDCP values may be age-derived, converted, clustered or imputed. Read the method and limitations.
Income: 2020–2024 ACS 5-year, median household B19013 and median family B19113. Income is not CPI adjusted.
Subsidy: ACF January 2025 initial income table; confirm current rules through the state application.