Rutherford County, NC
Infant daycare in Rutherford County, NC costs $161 per week ($8,377 per year) for center-based care, and $142 per week for family daycare. With a median household income of $50,512, the childcare burden is 16.6% of income, well above the 7% threshold HUD considers affordable. This is below the national median of $174/wk.
Cost Breakdown by Age Group
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | Family/Wk | Family/Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $161 | $8,377 | $142 | $7,363 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $142 | $7,386 | $108 | $5,615 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $113 | $5,860 | $113 | $5,883 |
| School-Age (6+) | $65 | $3,370 | $89 | $4,625 |
Rutherford County Childcare FAQ
Center-based infant care in Rutherford County costs $161 per week ($8,377 per year). Family-based infant care costs $142 per week ($7,363 per year). Data from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.
The Childcare Burden Index for Rutherford County is 16.6%, rated "High". This means a family earning the median income of $50,512 would spend about 16.6% of their income on infant center-based childcare.
The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174. Rutherford County at $161/wk is 7% below the national median. Annualized, infant center care in Rutherford County costs $8,377 per year.
In Rutherford County, NC, the most affordable option is typically family-based (home) daycare. Infant family daycare costs $142/wk compared to $161/wk for center-based. For preschool-age children, family daycare is $113/wk vs $113/wk at a center. School-age after-care is the least expensive category at $89/wk (family) or $65/wk (center).
Read the North Carolina guide
Statewide cost trends, subsidies, tax credits, daycare alternatives, and how to afford daycare in North Carolina.
Daycare Cost in North Carolina 2026: A Complete Guide for Parents →More Counties in NC
Childcare costs are weekly median prices from the DOL. Burden Index = annual infant center care / median household income.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
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.