North Carolina Childcare Cost Rankings
North Carolina counties ranked by infant center care cost, from most expensive to most affordable. The most expensive is Orange County at $355/wk, and the most affordable is Tyrrell County at $109/wk.
Across 99 North Carolina counties with DOL pricing data, the median weekly cost of infant center daycare is $181 ($9,403 per year). That puts North Carolina 4% above the U.S. national median of $174/wk. Within the state, prices vary widely — Orange County runs $355/wk while Tyrrell County runs just $109/wk, a 224% 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 North Carolina, 67 of 99 ranked counties (68%) carry a "High" or "Severe" burden — a family earning the local median income would spend 15% or more of gross pay on daycare alone. 12 North Carolina counties are 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 North Carolina county is Avery County at 23.1% 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
Orange County, NC
Median income $85,785
Most expensive county for infant center daycare in North Carolina at $355/wk ($18,453/yr). Family-based daycare runs $271/wk, about 24% cheaper. Childcare burden of 21.5% well exceeds the 7% HHS affordability threshold.
Durham County, NC
Median income $74,927
Second-most expensive at $317/wk for infant center care. Infant family daycare $228/wk ($11,867/yr).
Wake County, NC
Median income $96,734
Third-most expensive at $307/wk. Preschool center care drops to $189/wk as ratios loosen.
| Rank | County | Infant/Wk | Annual | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Orange County | $355 | $18,453 | 21.5% Severe |
| #2 | Durham County | $317 | $16,487 | 22.0% Severe |
| #3 | Wake County | $307 | $15,979 | 16.5% High |
| #4 | Mecklenburg County | $284 | $14,774 | 18.6% High |
| #5 | Cabarrus County | $258 | $13,392 | 16.0% High |
| #6 | Union County | $248 | $12,906 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #7 | Avery County | $238 | $12,352 | 23.1% Severe |
| #8 | Dare County | $230 | $11,967 | 15.0% High |
| #9 | Chatham County | $228 | $11,834 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #10 | Guilford County | $227 | $11,779 | 18.7% High |
| #11 | Iredell County | $223 | $11,601 | 15.9% High |
| #12 | New Hanover County | $223 | $11,601 | 17.2% High |
| #13 | Johnston County | $216 | $11,255 | 14.9% Moderate |
| #14 | Cherokee County | $209 | $10,864 | 22.1% Severe |
| #15 | Clay County | $209 | $10,864 | 19.0% High |
| #16 | Gates County | $209 | $10,864 | 19.5% High |
| #17 | Davie County | $208 | $10,828 | 15.7% High |
| #18 | Pitt County | $208 | $10,828 | 19.7% High |
| #19 | Haywood County | $203 | $10,572 | 18.7% High |
| #20 | Caswell County | $203 | $10,531 | 18.5% High |
| #21 | Forsyth County | $203 | $10,531 | 17.2% High |
| #22 | Onslow County | $203 | $10,531 | 17.6% High |
| #23 | Craven County | $200 | $10,417 | 16.9% High |
| #24 | Franklin County | $200 | $10,411 | 14.8% Moderate |
| #25 | Granville County | $200 | $10,411 | 15.3% High |
| #26 | Pender County | $199 | $10,371 | 13.9% Moderate |
| #27 | Rowan County | $199 | $10,352 | 17.3% High |
| #28 | Carteret County | $199 | $10,339 | 15.4% High |
| #29 | Lincoln County | $197 | $10,258 | 13.6% Moderate |
| #30 | Perquimans County | $197 | $10,246 | 17.2% High |
| #31 | Harnett County | $197 | $10,233 | 15.7% High |
| #32 | Northampton County | $195 | $10,129 | 22.2% Severe |
| #33 | Yancey County | $195 | $10,129 | 19.1% High |
| #34 | Henderson County | $195 | $10,114 | 15.4% High |
| #35 | Randolph County | $191 | $9,935 | 17.6% High |
| #36 | Buncombe County | $191 | $9,920 | 14.9% Moderate |
| #37 | Edgecombe County | $190 | $9,904 | 21.4% Severe |
| #38 | Moore County | $189 | $9,817 | 12.6% Moderate |
| #39 | Transylvania County | $188 | $9,791 | 15.8% High |
| #40 | Stanly County | $186 | $9,677 | 16.0% High |
| #41 | Beaufort County | $185 | $9,631 | 17.2% High |
| #42 | Brunswick County | $184 | $9,560 | 13.4% Moderate |
| #43 | Cumberland County | $183 | $9,535 | 17.2% High |
| #44 | Wilkes County | $183 | $9,524 | 19.4% High |
| #45 | Catawba County | $183 | $9,519 | 15.3% High |
| #46 | Pamlico County | $183 | $9,511 | 17.0% High |
| #47 | Martin County | $182 | $9,445 | 21.1% Severe |
| #48 | Camden County | $181 | $9,404 | 11.9% Moderate |
| #49 | Jackson County | $181 | $9,404 | 18.3% High |
| #50 | Burke County | $181 | $9,403 | 17.5% High |
| #51 | Davidson County | $181 | $9,403 | 16.1% High |
| #52 | Polk County | $181 | $9,393 | 15.5% High |
| #53 | Montgomery County | $181 | $9,392 | 16.9% High |
| #54 | Watauga County | $180 | $9,380 | 18.7% High |
| #55 | Macon County | $178 | $9,261 | 18.1% High |
| #56 | Surry County | $176 | $9,164 | 17.4% High |
| #57 | Wilson County | $175 | $9,108 | 18.3% High |
| #58 | Halifax County | $174 | $9,064 | 21.8% Severe |
| #59 | Currituck County | $172 | $8,947 | 10.8% Moderate |
| #60 | Hyde County | $170 | $8,848 | 20.2% Severe |
| #61 | Person County | $170 | $8,848 | 14.6% Moderate |
| #62 | Lenoir County | $170 | $8,823 | 20.5% Severe |
| #63 | Stokes County | $170 | $8,823 | 15.3% High |
| #64 | Ashe County | $169 | $8,762 | 17.8% High |
| #65 | Bertie County | $164 | $8,538 | 20.5% Severe |
| #66 | Caldwell County | $164 | $8,538 | 16.3% High |
| #67 | McDowell County | $164 | $8,523 | 15.9% High |
| #68 | Rutherford County | $161 | $8,377 | 16.6% High |
| #69 | Vance County | $161 | $8,351 | 17.3% High |
| #70 | Pasquotank County | $159 | $8,286 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #71 | Alexander County | $159 | $8,263 | 13.2% Moderate |
| #72 | Anson County | $159 | $8,254 | 19.7% High |
| #73 | Cleveland County | $159 | $8,254 | 16.3% High |
| #74 | Nash County | $157 | $8,178 | 14.4% Moderate |
| #75 | Hertford County | $155 | $8,053 | 17.4% High |
| #76 | Washington County | $154 | $8,014 | 20.6% Severe |
| #77 | Swain County | $154 | $7,982 | 15.1% High |
| #78 | Wayne County | $153 | $7,978 | 14.7% Moderate |
| #79 | Hoke County | $150 | $7,775 | 13.6% Moderate |
| #80 | Mitchell County | $149 | $7,759 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #81 | Madison County | $149 | $7,738 | 13.7% Moderate |
| #82 | Gaston County | $148 | $7,687 | 12.3% Moderate |
| #83 | Robeson County | $148 | $7,685 | 19.5% High |
| #84 | Alamance County | $145 | $7,550 | 12.4% Moderate |
| #85 | Lee County | $145 | $7,550 | 12.4% Moderate |
| #86 | Scotland County | $142 | $7,400 | 17.6% High |
| #87 | Columbus County | $139 | $7,239 | 16.8% High |
| #88 | Yadkin County | $137 | $7,123 | 12.4% Moderate |
| #89 | Richmond County | $137 | $7,115 | 16.8% High |
| #90 | Rockingham County | $137 | $7,115 | 14.0% Moderate |
| #91 | Sampson County | $137 | $7,115 | 14.2% Moderate |
| #92 | Warren County | $137 | $7,115 | 16.8% High |
| #93 | Chowan County | $131 | $6,831 | 13.3% Moderate |
| #94 | Duplin County | $131 | $6,831 | 13.8% Moderate |
| #95 | Jones County | $131 | $6,831 | 12.9% Moderate |
| #96 | Greene County | $129 | $6,703 | 13.3% Moderate |
| #97 | Alleghany County | $109 | $5,692 | 13.5% Moderate |
| #98 | Bladen County | $109 | $5,692 | 14.1% Moderate |
| #99 | Tyrrell County | $109 | $5,692 | 10.3% Moderate |
1 County Without Data
The DOL has not published market rate survey data for these counties.
North Carolina Childcare Cost FAQ
Orange County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in North Carolina at $355/wk ($18,453 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 21.5% of median household income ($85,785).
Tyrrell County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in North Carolina at $109/wk ($5,692 per year). Across the 99 North Carolina counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 224%.
The median weekly infant center care cost in North Carolina is $181. The U.S. national median is $174, so North Carolina runs 4% above the national median. Annualized, the typical North Carolina family pays $9,403 per year for infant center daycare.
67 of 99 North Carolina counties (68%) 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. 12 North Carolina counties are 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 North Carolina 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.
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.