Daycare in North Carolina
What daycare costs in each North Carolina county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.
Short answer
Help paying in North Carolina
Subsidized Child Care Assistance, run by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education
$53,304a year or less for a family of three to start (200% of the federal poverty level), as of July 2025. You also need to work, study or train.
The highest copay reported for a family of three is 10% of income (January 2025).
How to applySources: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education; National Women's Law Center
What does daycare cost in each North Carolina county?
Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $109 in Alleghany County to $355 in Orange County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | Infant, home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $145 | $143 | $113 | $150 |
| Alexander County | $159 | $131 | $118 | $108 |
| Alleghany County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $150 |
| Anson County | $159 | $131 | $125 | $145 |
| Ashe County | $169 | $125 | $117 | $114 |
| Avery County | $238 | $151 | $136 | $177 |
| Beaufort County | $185 | $160 | $135 | $167 |
| Bertie County | $164 | $138 | $152 | $144 |
| Bladen County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $150 |
| Brunswick County | $184 | $158 | $146 | $135 |
| Buncombe County | $191 | $165 | $175 | $177 |
| Burke County | $181 | $127 | $112 | $156 |
| Cabarrus County | $258 | $204 | $172 | $174 |
| Caldwell County | $164 | $137 | $115 | $150 |
| Camden County | $181 | $176 | $84 | $166 |
| Carteret County | $199 | $129 | $129 | $172 |
| Caswell County | $203 | $141 | $116 | – |
| Catawba County | $183 | $142 | $109 | $172 |
| Chatham County | $228 | $182 | $165 | $163 |
| Cherokee County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $135 |
| Chowan County | $131 | $125 | $109 | $126 |
| Clay County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $135 |
| Cleveland County | $159 | $136 | $131 | $128 |
| Columbus County | $139 | $135 | $116 | $112 |
| Craven County | $200 | $167 | $147 | $177 |
| Cumberland County | $183 | $159 | $132 | $162 |
| Currituck County | $172 | $149 | $129 | $168 |
| Dare County | $230 | $204 | $177 | $192 |
| Davidson County | $181 | $159 | $129 | $183 |
| Davie County | $208 | $160 | $162 | $178 |
| Duplin County | $131 | $131 | $126 | $114 |
| Durham County | $317 | $239 | $188 | $228 |
| Edgecombe County | $190 | $147 | $124 | $143 |
| Forsyth County | $203 | $169 | $150 | $188 |
| Franklin County | $200 | $149 | $134 | $160 |
| Gaston County | $148 | $133 | $108 | $145 |
| Gates County | $209 | $137 | $93 | $135 |
| Granville County | $200 | $159 | $116 | $149 |
| Greene County | $129 | $115 | $115 | $116 |
| Guilford County | $227 | $175 | $132 | $172 |
| Halifax County | $174 | $129 | $111 | $143 |
| Harnett County | $197 | $139 | $114 | $164 |
| Haywood County | $203 | $135 | $109 | $179 |
| Henderson County | $195 | $149 | $129 | $178 |
| Hertford County | $155 | $133 | $132 | $122 |
| Hoke County | $150 | $135 | $125 | $140 |
| Hyde County | $170 | $153 | $110 | $140 |
| Iredell County | $223 | $175 | $149 | $184 |
| Jackson County | $181 | $176 | $84 | $166 |
| Johnston County | $216 | $188 | $149 | $153 |
| Jones County | $131 | $131 | $126 | $114 |
| Lee County | $145 | $118 | $106 | $136 |
| Lenoir County | $170 | $158 | $131 | $148 |
| Lincoln County | $197 | $171 | $140 | $192 |
| McDowell County | $164 | $141 | $134 | $150 |
| Macon County | $178 | $136 | $174 | $114 |
| Madison County | $149 | $134 | $109 | $150 |
| Martin County | $182 | $116 | $129 | $143 |
| Mecklenburg County | $284 | $251 | $171 | $189 |
| Mitchell County | $149 | $138 | $102 | $94 |
| Montgomery County | $181 | $131 | $109 | $114 |
| Moore County | $189 | $154 | $129 | $184 |
| Nash County | $157 | $148 | $134 | $192 |
| New Hanover County | $223 | $173 | $134 | $184 |
| Northampton County | $195 | $179 | $123 | $176 |
| Onslow County | $203 | $152 | $129 | $161 |
| Orange County | $355 | $292 | $199 | $271 |
| Pamlico County | $183 | $141 | $86 | $135 |
| Pasquotank County | $159 | $137 | $115 | $157 |
| Pender County | $199 | $180 | $138 | $157 |
| Perquimans County | $197 | $180 | $120 | $124 |
| Person County | $170 | $153 | $110 | $140 |
| Pitt County | $208 | $182 | $156 | $189 |
| Polk County | $181 | $173 | $85 | $158 |
| Randolph County | $191 | $142 | $119 | $149 |
| Richmond County | $137 | $131 | $109 | $183 |
| Robeson County | $148 | $130 | $111 | $171 |
| Rockingham County | $137 | $125 | $93 | $131 |
| Rowan County | $199 | $139 | $119 | $155 |
| Rutherford County | $161 | $142 | $113 | $142 |
| Sampson County | $137 | $125 | $109 | $143 |
| Scotland County | $142 | $120 | $114 | $155 |
| Stanly County | $186 | $163 | $147 | $162 |
| Stokes County | $170 | $131 | $125 | $143 |
| Surry County | $176 | $142 | $117 | $114 |
| Swain County | $154 | $109 | $108 | $117 |
| Transylvania County | $188 | $152 | $125 | $171 |
| Tyrrell County | $109 | $109 | $109 | $150 |
| Union County | $248 | $205 | $116 | $201 |
| Vance County | $161 | $139 | $129 | $166 |
| Wake County | $307 | $251 | $189 | $217 |
| Warren County | $137 | $125 | $125 | $138 |
| Washington County | $154 | $129 | $109 | $137 |
| Watauga County | $180 | $150 | $162 | $158 |
| Wayne County | $153 | $138 | $123 | $156 |
| Wilkes County | $183 | $159 | $109 | $126 |
| Wilson County | $175 | $152 | $136 | $112 |
| Yadkin County | $137 | $108 | $91 | $120 |
| Yancey County | $195 | $179 | $123 | $176 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices. Data as of 2022 prices.
Look up your county to see a year's cost for each age, or read how much childcare costs for nannies and other options.
Help paying for daycare in North Carolina
Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.
1. Subsidized Child Care Assistance
The state's child care subsidy, run by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education. A family of three qualifies at up to $53,304 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. 12,755 children were on waiting lists in February 2025. Children with special needs and homeless families are prioritized. In North Carolina, a provider whose price is above the state's payment can charge you the difference, so ask first.
2. Head Start and Early Head Start
Free for families at or below the poverty line, or on TANF or SSI. 394 centers in North Carolina; 180 take babies and toddlers.
3. Tax breaks
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
How to check a daycare's license in North Carolina
Every licensed program has a state record with its license, the ages and number of children it's licensed for, and its inspection history. Look a program up before you tour it, and again before you sign.
- Find and check child care in North Carolina on Childcare.gov, with links to the state's search, licensing rules and inspection reports.
Daycare in North Carolina: common questions
How much does daycare cost in North Carolina?
Full-time infant care at a North Carolina child care center has a median price of $203 a week, about $10,531 a year; at a family child care home it's $174 a week. These are 2022 prices from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, not adjusted for inflation, so expect to pay more today. Prices for toddlers and preschoolers are lower, and they vary by county.
How do I get help paying for daycare in North Carolina?
Apply to Subsidized Child Care Assistance, run by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education. A family of three can earn up to $53,304 a year to start (as of July 2025). Parents generally need to be working, in school or in job training. You pay a copay based on income, and the state pays the rest to the provider you choose. 12,755 children were on waiting lists in February 2025. Children with special needs and homeless families are prioritized.
Is there free daycare in North Carolina?
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 394 centers in North Carolina; 180 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 293 offer preschool for ages 3 to 5. You qualify with income at or below the federal poverty line, or at any income if you get TANF or SSI, your child is in foster care, or your family is homeless.
How do I check that a daycare is licensed in North Carolina?
Look the program up in North Carolina's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's North Carolina page links to the state's search, its licensing rules and its inspection reports.
What's the difference between a daycare center and a family child care home?
A center runs in a commercial or school building with several classrooms and staff. A family child care home is licensed care in the provider's own home, usually for a smaller group of mixed ages, and in North Carolina it costs a median $174 a week for an infant against $203 at a center. Both are licensed and inspected by the state.
Are there tax breaks for daycare?
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
Daycare in nearby states
Other benefits in North Carolina
Having a baby in North Carolina Benefits, each with its source, checked October 2026 Pregnancy Medicaid Up to 201% FPL WIC Yes Paid family leave No Medicaid pays for a doula No See North CarolinaGear for daycare days
Sources
- 1.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.National Database of Childcare Prices U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.Subsidized Child Care Assistance North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.North Carolina: Financial Assistance Resources for Families (last reviewed 2026-09-29) Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025 National Women's Law Center. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.CCDF Family Co-Payments by State (January 2025) Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.42 U.S. Code 9858n, Definitions (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act) Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (U.S. Code). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.Understanding and finding child care in North Carolina Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.