159 Counties Ranked · DOL 2022

Georgia Childcare Cost Rankings

Georgia counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Camden County at $205/wk, and the most affordable is Chatham County at $103/wk.

Across 159 Georgia counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $109 ($5,642 per year). That puts Georgia 37% below the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Camden County runs $205/wk while Chatham County runs just $103/wk, a 100% gap between most and least expensive county.

The Childcare Burden Index measures annual infant center cost as a share of local median household income. Across Georgia, 13 of 159 ranked counties (8%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 1 Georgia county is classified as "Severe" (burden ≥ 20%). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats childcare as affordable only when it costs no more than 7% of household income. The single highest-burden Georgia county is Randolph County at 22.9% of median income.

All figures come from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices (2022), with median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS. The DOL collects pricing through state-level market rate surveys conducted under the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program — these are the same numbers state agencies use to set childcare subsidy reimbursement rates.

Top 3 Most Expensive Counties

#115.7% burden

Camden County, GA

Median income $68,104

Most expensive county for infant center daycare in Georgia at $205/wk ($10,660/yr). Family-based daycare runs $163/wk, about 20% cheaper. Childcare burden of 15.7% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.

#210.6% burden

Cherokee County, GA

Median income $100,824

Second-most expensive at $205/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $163/wk ($8,476/yr).

#319.0% burden

Clayton County, GA

Median income $56,207

Third-most expensive at $205/wk. Preschool center care drops to $179/wk as ratios loosen.

Rank	County	Infant/Wk	Annual	Burden
#1	Camden County	$205	$10,660	15.7% High
#2	Cherokee County	$205	$10,660	10.6% Moderate
#3	Clayton County	$205	$10,660	19.0% High
#4	Cobb County	$205	$10,660	11.3% Moderate
#5	DeKalb County	$205	$10,660	14.0% Moderate
#6	Douglas County	$205	$10,660	13.9% Moderate
#7	Fayette County	$205	$10,660	10.1% Moderate
#8	Forsyth County	$205	$10,660	8.1% Affordable
#9	Fulton County	$205	$10,660	12.4% Moderate
#10	Gwinnett County	$205	$10,660	13.0% Moderate
#11	Hall County	$205	$10,660	14.4% Moderate
#12	Henry County	$205	$10,660	13.4% Moderate
#13	Paulding County	$205	$10,660	11.9% Moderate
#14	Rockdale County	$205	$10,660	15.4% High
#15	Putnam County	$149	$7,748	12.7% Moderate
#16	Baldwin County	$143	$7,436	13.6% Moderate
#17	Barrow County	$143	$7,436	9.9% Affordable
#18	Bartow County	$143	$7,436	9.9% Affordable
#19	Bibb County	$143	$7,436	15.2% High
#20	Bryan County	$143	$7,436	8.2% Affordable
#21	Bulloch County	$143	$7,436	13.9% Moderate
#22	Butts County	$143	$7,436	12.4% Moderate
#23	Catoosa County	$143	$7,436	10.8% Moderate
#24	Clarke County	$143	$7,436	15.3% High
#25	Columbia County	$143	$7,436	8.0% Affordable
#26	Coweta County	$143	$7,436	8.3% Affordable
#27	Dawson County	$143	$7,436	8.8% Affordable
#28	Dougherty County	$143	$7,436	16.3% High
#29	Effingham County	$143	$7,436	9.4% Affordable
#30	Floyd County	$143	$7,436	12.8% Moderate
#31	Glynn County	$143	$7,436	11.3% Moderate
#32	Gordon County	$143	$7,436	12.9% Moderate
#33	Harris County	$143	$7,436	8.7% Affordable
#34	Hart County	$143	$7,436	12.0% Moderate
#35	Houston County	$143	$7,436	9.7% Affordable
#36	Jackson County	$143	$7,436	9.1% Affordable
#37	Jones County	$143	$7,436	11.2% Moderate
#38	Lamar County	$143	$7,436	11.4% Moderate
#39	Lee County	$143	$7,436	8.9% Affordable
#40	Liberty County	$143	$7,436	13.5% Moderate
#41	Lowndes County	$143	$7,436	14.1% Moderate
#42	Lumpkin County	$143	$7,436	11.0% Moderate
#43	McDuffie County	$143	$7,436	13.6% Moderate
#44	Madison County	$143	$7,436	13.9% Moderate
#45	Meriwether County	$143	$7,436	14.2% Moderate
#46	Morgan County	$143	$7,436	9.1% Affordable
#47	Murray County	$143	$7,436	12.3% Moderate
#48	Muscogee County	$143	$7,436	13.6% Moderate
#49	Newton County	$143	$7,436	10.5% Moderate
#50	Oconee County	$143	$7,436	6.4% Affordable
#51	Peach County	$143	$7,436	12.2% Moderate
#52	Pike County	$143	$7,436	8.9% Affordable
#53	Pulaski County	$143	$7,436	17.5% High
#54	Richmond County	$143	$7,436	14.7% Moderate
#55	Spalding County	$143	$7,436	13.0% Moderate
#56	Tift County	$143	$7,436	14.1% Moderate
#57	Troup County	$143	$7,436	13.9% Moderate
#58	Walton County	$143	$7,436	9.4% Affordable
#59	Whitfield County	$143	$7,436	12.5% Moderate
#60	Appling County	$109	$5,642	13.0% Moderate
#61	Atkinson County	$109	$5,642	14.8% Moderate
#62	Bacon County	$109	$5,642	12.8% Moderate
#63	Baker County	$109	$5,642	12.4% Moderate
#64	Banks County	$109	$5,642	8.2% Affordable
#65	Ben Hill County	$109	$5,642	14.7% Moderate
#66	Berrien County	$109	$5,642	11.6% Moderate
#67	Bleckley County	$109	$5,642	10.1% Moderate
#68	Brantley County	$109	$5,642	14.0% Moderate
#69	Brooks County	$109	$5,642	13.3% Moderate
#70	Burke County	$109	$5,642	11.2% Moderate
#71	Calhoun County	$109	$5,642	11.6% Moderate
#72	Candler County	$109	$5,642	12.4% Moderate
#73	Carroll County	$109	$5,642	8.4% Affordable
#74	Charlton County	$109	$5,642	12.3% Moderate
#75	Chattahoochee County	$109	$5,642	10.7% Moderate
#76	Chattooga County	$109	$5,642	13.0% Moderate
#77	Clay County	$109	$5,642	13.0% Moderate
#78	Clinch County	$109	$5,642	10.6% Moderate
#79	Coffee County	$109	$5,642	11.7% Moderate
#80	Colquitt County	$109	$5,642	11.9% Moderate
#81	Cook County	$109	$5,642	12.1% Moderate
#82	Crawford County	$109	$5,642	9.9% Affordable
#83	Crisp County	$109	$5,642	11.9% Moderate
#84	Dade County	$109	$5,642	9.5% Affordable
#85	Decatur County	$109	$5,642	11.9% Moderate
#86	Dodge County	$109	$5,642	12.2% Moderate
#87	Dooly County	$109	$5,642	10.4% Moderate
#88	Early County	$109	$5,642	11.7% Moderate
#89	Echols County	$109	$5,642	9.2% Affordable
#90	Elbert County	$109	$5,642	11.7% Moderate
#91	Emanuel County	$109	$5,642	11.8% Moderate
#92	Evans County	$109	$5,642	10.2% Moderate
#93	Fannin County	$109	$5,642	10.3% Moderate
#94	Franklin County	$109	$5,642	10.7% Moderate
#95	Gilmer County	$109	$5,642	8.0% Affordable
#96	Glascock County	$109	$5,642	9.3% Affordable
#97	Grady County	$109	$5,642	10.9% Moderate
#98	Greene County	$109	$5,642	7.3% Affordable
#99	Habersham County	$109	$5,642	9.2% Affordable
#100	Hancock County	$109	$5,642	17.8% High
#101	Haralson County	$109	$5,642	8.6% Affordable
#102	Heard County	$109	$5,642	9.0% Affordable
#103	Irwin County	$109	$5,642	12.2% Moderate
#104	Jasper County	$109	$5,642	9.8% Affordable
#105	Jeff Davis County	$109	$5,642	13.5% Moderate
#106	Jefferson County	$109	$5,642	12.0% Moderate
#107	Jenkins County	$109	$5,642	17.9% High
#108	Johnson County	$109	$5,642	11.8% Moderate
#109	Lanier County	$109	$5,642	14.1% Moderate
#110	Laurens County	$109	$5,642	12.1% Moderate
#111	Lincoln County	$109	$5,642	11.1% Moderate
#112	Long County	$109	$5,642	9.9% Affordable
#113	McIntosh County	$109	$5,642	11.0% Moderate
#114	Macon County	$109	$5,642	16.6% High
#115	Marion County	$109	$5,642	11.6% Moderate
#116	Miller County	$109	$5,642	10.8% Moderate
#117	Mitchell County	$109	$5,642	12.3% Moderate
#118	Monroe County	$109	$5,642	7.5% Affordable
#119	Montgomery County	$109	$5,642	11.5% Moderate
#120	Oglethorpe County	$109	$5,642	8.5% Affordable
#121	Pickens County	$109	$5,642	7.8% Affordable
#122	Pierce County	$109	$5,642	10.3% Moderate
#123	Polk County	$109	$5,642	10.9% Moderate
#124	Quitman County	$109	$5,642	14.5% Moderate
#125	Rabun County	$109	$5,642	9.9% Affordable
#126	Randolph County	$109	$5,642	22.9% Severe
#127	Schley County	$109	$5,642	10.6% Moderate
#128	Screven County	$109	$5,642	11.3% Moderate
#129	Seminole County	$109	$5,642	12.2% Moderate
#130	Stephens County	$109	$5,642	10.7% Moderate
#131	Stewart County	$109	$5,642	13.1% Moderate
#132	Sumter County	$109	$5,642	14.5% Moderate
#133	Talbot County	$109	$5,642	11.7% Moderate
#134	Taliaferro County	$109	$5,642	12.3% Moderate
#135	Tattnall County	$109	$5,642	10.9% Moderate
#136	Taylor County	$109	$5,642	13.9% Moderate
#137	Telfair County	$109	$5,642	13.5% Moderate
#138	Terrell County	$109	$5,642	13.0% Moderate
#139	Thomas County	$109	$5,642	10.1% Moderate
#140	Toombs County	$109	$5,642	11.9% Moderate
#141	Towns County	$109	$5,642	10.2% Moderate
#142	Treutlen County	$109	$5,642	14.6% Moderate
#143	Turner County	$109	$5,642	14.2% Moderate
#144	Twiggs County	$109	$5,642	11.2% Moderate
#145	Union County	$109	$5,642	9.4% Affordable
#146	Upson County	$109	$5,642	11.6% Moderate
#147	Walker County	$109	$5,642	10.8% Moderate
#148	Ware County	$109	$5,642	12.8% Moderate
#149	Warren County	$109	$5,642	12.5% Moderate
#150	Washington County	$109	$5,642	12.9% Moderate
#151	Wayne County	$109	$5,642	11.3% Moderate
#152	Webster County	$109	$5,642	16.1% High
#153	Wheeler County	$109	$5,642	15.5% High
#154	White County	$109	$5,642	8.5% Affordable
#155	Wilcox County	$109	$5,642	12.1% Moderate
#156	Wilkes County	$109	$5,642	10.9% Moderate
#157	Wilkinson County	$109	$5,642	13.8% Moderate
#158	Worth County	$109	$5,642	10.0% Moderate
#159	Chatham County	$103	$5,330	8.1% Affordable

Georgia Childcare Cost FAQ

Camden County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Georgia at $205/wk ($10,660 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 15.7% of median household income ($68,104).

Chatham County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Georgia at $103/wk ($5,330 per year). Across the 159 Georgia counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 100%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Georgia is $109. The U.S. national median is $174, so Georgia runs 37% below the national median. Annualized, the typical Georgia family pays $5,642 per year for infant center daycare.

13 of 159 Georgia counties (8%) have a Childcare Burden Index of 15% or higher — meaning a family earning the local median income would spend at least 15% of gross income on infant center daycare. 1 Georgia county is classified as "Severe" (burden ≥ 20%). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treats childcare as affordable when it costs no more than 7% of household income.

Family-based (home) daycare is typically 20-30% cheaper than center-based care across the country, and Georgia follows the same pattern. Each county page shows the exact infant family vs. infant center weekly rate, plus toddler, preschool, and school-age figures for both setting types. School-age care is usually the cheapest category, since school-age children only need before- and after-school coverage rather than full days.

Sources: DOL National Database of Childcare Prices

Last updated: April 2026

The this entity category groups every U.S. childcare prices entity sharing this attribute. The list above is the data; the paragraphs below explain what the grouping means against the broader the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices distribution and how to read the relative rankings within the category.

For readers using this category as a starting point, the per-entity detail pages linked from the table above carry the underlying the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices data in full. The category-level view is the filter; the per-entity pages are the actual answer.