ChildcareCost
DOL Data · 2022

Lancaster County, SC

Infant daycare in Lancaster County, SC costs $222 per week ($11,558 per year) for center-based care, and $154 per week for family daycare. With a median household income of $72,186, the childcare burden is 16.0% of income, well above the 7% threshold HUD considers affordable. This is above the national median of $174/wk.

Infant Center (Weekly)
$222
$11,558/yr
Infant Family (Weekly)
$154
$8,018/yr
Median Income
$72,186
Burden Index
16.0%
High

Cost Breakdown by Age Group

Age GroupCenter/WkCenter/YrFamily/WkFamily/Yr
Infant (0-1)$222$11,558$154$8,018
Toddler (1-2)$208$10,835$154$8,018
Preschool (3-5)$163$8,459$143$7,449
School-Age (6+)$169$8,809$93$4,826
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Lancaster County Childcare FAQ

Center-based infant care in Lancaster County costs $222 per week ($11,558 per year). Family-based infant care costs $154 per week ($8,018 per year). Data from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.

The Childcare Burden Index for Lancaster County is 16.0%, rated "High". This means a family earning the median income of $72,186 would spend about 16.0% of their income on infant center-based childcare.

The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174. Lancaster County at $222/wk is 28% above the national median. Annualized, infant center care in Lancaster County costs $11,558 per year.

In Lancaster County, SC, the most affordable option is typically family-based (home) daycare. Infant family daycare costs $154/wk compared to $222/wk for center-based. For preschool-age children, family daycare is $143/wk vs $163/wk at a center. School-age after-care is the least expensive category at $93/wk (family) or $169/wk (center).

Read the South Carolina guide

Statewide cost trends, subsidies, tax credits, daycare alternatives, and how to afford daycare in South Carolina.

Daycare Cost in South Carolina 2026: A Complete Guide for Parents →

Childcare costs are weekly median prices from the DOL. Burden Index = annual infant center care / median household income.

this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. childcare prices dataset. The detail above comes directly from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. counties.

Every number on this page links back to the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.

For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. counties with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.