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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
$268/ week
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 | $2682015 source | $2142015 source |
| Toddler | $2222015 source | $1882015 source |
| Preschool | $1762015 source | $1842015 source |
| School-age | $1152015 source | $1462015 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $769 | $794 | 2022 |
| Alexander County | $842 | $572 | 2022 |
| Alleghany County | $580 | $794 | 2022 |
| Anson County | $841 | $769 | 2022 |
| Ashe County | $893 | $604 | 2022 |
| Avery County | $1,258 | $937 | 2022 |
| Beaufort County | $981 | $882 | 2022 |
| Bertie County | $870 | $762 | 2022 |
| Bladen County | $580 | $794 | 2022 |
| Brunswick County | $974 | $717 | 2022 |
| Buncombe County | $1,010 | $939 | 2022 |
| Burke County | $958 | $826 | 2022 |
| Cabarrus County | $1,364 | $922 | 2022 |
| Caldwell County | $870 | $793 | 2022 |
| Camden County | $958 | $880 | 2022 |
| Carteret County | $1,053 | $912 | 2022 |
| Caswell County | $1,073 | $638 | 2022 |
| Catawba County | $970 | $912 | 2022 |
| Chatham County | $1,205 | $862 | 2022 |
| Cherokee County | $1,107 | $713 | 2022 |
| Chowan County | $696 | $670 | 2022 |
| Clay County | $1,107 | $713 | 2022 |
| Cleveland County | $841 | $680 | 2022 |
| Columbus County | $737 | $596 | 2022 |
| Craven County | $1,061 | $937 | 2022 |
| Cumberland County | $971 | $858 | 2022 |
| Currituck County | $911 | $890 | 2022 |
| Dare County | $1,219 | $1,017 | 2022 |
| Davidson County | $958 | $969 | 2022 |
| Davie County | $1,103 | $943 | 2022 |
| Duplin County | $696 | $604 | 2022 |
| Durham County | $1,679 | $1,209 | 2022 |
| Edgecombe County | $1,009 | $756 | 2022 |
| Forsyth County | $1,073 | $997 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $1,061 | $845 | 2022 |
| Gaston County | $783 | $768 | 2022 |
| Gates County | $1,107 | $713 | 2022 |
| Graham County | $864 | $639 | 2015 |
| Granville County | $1,061 | $791 | 2022 |
| Greene County | $683 | $617 | 2022 |
| Guilford County | $1,200 | $912 | 2022 |
| Halifax County | $923 | $756 | 2022 |
| Harnett County | $1,042 | $870 | 2022 |
| Haywood County | $1,077 | $947 | 2022 |
| Henderson County | $1,030 | $943 | 2022 |
| Hertford County | $820 | $644 | 2022 |
| Hoke County | $792 | $740 | 2022 |
| Hyde County | $901 | $740 | 2022 |
| Iredell County | $1,182 | $973 | 2022 |
| Jackson County | $958 | $880 | 2022 |
| Johnston County | $1,147 | $810 | 2022 |
| Jones County | $696 | $604 | 2022 |
| Lee County | $769 | $722 | 2022 |
| Lenoir County | $899 | $785 | 2022 |
| Lincoln County | $1,045 | $1,017 | 2022 |
| McDowell County | $868 | $794 | 2022 |
| Macon County | $943 | $604 | 2022 |
| Madison County | $788 | $792 | 2022 |
| Martin County | $962 | $756 | 2022 |
| Mecklenburg County | $1,505 | $1,004 | 2022 |
City pages in North Carolina
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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.