Is it worth going back to work?
See what a second income leaves after taxes, childcare and commuting.
Open calculator: Worth workingDaycare costs by state
Daycare costs in Tennessee. About $1,000/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
$1,000/ month
County sources 2022 · CPI adjusted to August 2026
- Weekly
- $231
- Monthly
- $1,000
- Annual
- $11,998
A planning estimate for one child. Current tuition and included services vary by provider.
17.2%of median household income
Annual care ÷ $69,595 income. 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Prices by age & setting
| Age group | Center | Home-based |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $1,0002022 source | $7252022 source |
| Toddler | $7202022 source | $6332022 source |
| Preschool | $7202022 source | $6332022 source |
| School-age | $3652022 source | $5492022 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Bedford County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Benton County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Bledsoe County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Blount County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Bradley County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Campbell County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Cannon County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Carroll County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Carter County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Cheatham County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Chester County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Claiborne County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Clay County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Cocke County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Coffee County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Crockett County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Cumberland County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Davidson County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Decatur County | $592 | $427 | 2022 |
| DeKalb County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Dickson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Dyer County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Fayette County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Fentress County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Franklin County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Gibson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Giles County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Grainger County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Greene County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Grundy County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Hamblen County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Hamilton County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Hancock County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Hardeman County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Hardin County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Hawkins County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Haywood County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Henderson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Henry County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Hickman County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Houston County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Humphreys County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Jackson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Jefferson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Johnson County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Knox County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Lake County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Lauderdale County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Lawrence County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Lewis County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Lincoln County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Loudon County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| McMinn County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| McNairy County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Macon County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Madison County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
| Marion County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Marshall County | $694 | $481 | 2022 |
| Maury County | $1,121 | $821 | 2022 |
City pages in Tennessee
Make it your budget
Put the numbers
to work.
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 Tennessee.
The January 2025 federal table lists $6,968 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 Tennessee.
How much does daycare cost per month in Tennessee?
The infant center estimate is $1,000 per month. The underlying source is dated 2022 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 $725 per month, from a 2022 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 $69,595 median household income gives 17.2%. 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 Tennessee?
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 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Infant / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Toddler / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| Preschool / home | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / center | County sources 2022–2022 DOL NDCP | County aggregation | Adjusted per county |
| School-age / home | County sources 2022–2022 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.