Tennessee Childcare Cost Rankings

Anderson County is the most expensive county for infant center daycare in Tennessee at $212/wk ($11,007 per year). The Childcare Burden Index there is 18.2% of median household income ($60,633).

Decatur County has the lowest infant center daycare cost in Tennessee at $112/wk ($5,807 per year). Across the 95 Tennessee counties with DOL pricing data, the spread between most and least expensive is 90%.

The median weekly infant center care cost in Tennessee is $131. The U.S. national median is $174, so Tennessee runs 25% below the national median. Annualized, the typical Tennessee family pays $6,811 per year for infant center daycare.

28 of 95 Tennessee counties (29%) 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. 6 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.