Orange County, NC vs Wake County, NC
Side-by-side childcare cost comparison. Infant center care costs $355/wk in Orange County and $307/wk in Wake County.
| Metric | Orange County, NC | Wake County, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Center (wk) | $355 | $307 |
| Infant Family (wk) | $271 | $217 |
| Toddler Center (wk) | $292 | $251 |
| Toddler Family (wk) | $226 | $201 |
| Preschool Center (wk) | $199 | $189 |
| Preschool Family (wk) | $223 | $202 |
| School-Age Center (wk) | $105 | $99 |
| School-Age Family (wk) | $112 | $112 |
| Median Income | $85,785 | $96,734 |
| Burden Index | 21.5% | 16.5% |
Annual Cost Comparison (Infant Center)
Orange County
$18,453/yr
Wake County
$15,979/yr
Last updated:
The side-by-side above pulls the the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices data for both entity A and entity B. What follows is the interpretation — which specific axes carry the most weight for entity A versus entity B, and which differences are large enough to influence a real decision.
Practical use of the comparison: read the data above, then drill into the individual entity A and entity B detail pages for the underlying breakdown. A pairwise comparison answers the relative question; the per-entity pages answer the absolute question.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.