MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Shelby County, AL?
In Shelby County, AL, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $147 a week ($638 a month, $7,657 a year)†.
$147
per week · Shelby County, AL · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $172 per week in 2025 dollars — estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure · how we estimate this
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
MEDIAN PRICE · BY AGE & SETTING · PER WEEK
| Age | Center-based | Family childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $147† | $146† |
| Toddler | $152† | $142† |
| Preschool | $139† | $129† |
| School-age‡ | $125† | $126† |
Median prices · 2022 (latest official data) · U.S. Department of Labor.
‡ School-age prices reflect a school-year, part-day arrangement, not full-day year-round care.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
AFFORDABILITY · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · VS 7%
Is childcare affordable in Shelby County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,657 a year† — that is 6.8% of the county’s median family income of $112,123 (2022).
That is at or below the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Shelby County?
Uses Shelby County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN SHELBY COUNTY
$7,657
per year · $638 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 6.8%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,849 /yr
That is at or below the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Shelby County compares
- Shelby County$147 /wk†
- Alabama median$136 /wk
- National median$244 /wk
Bars scaled to the highest figure shown. State and national figures are population-weighted medians of the county medians, across counties with data.
NEARBY COUNTIES · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
Childcare prices near Shelby County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Bibb CountyAL | $136 /wk |
| Chilton CountyAL | $145 /wk |
| Coosa CountyAL | $114 /wk |
| Jefferson CountyAL | $147 /wk |
| St. Clair CountyAL | $146 /wk |
| Talladega CountyAL | $115 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Shelby County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $117 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2009 | $118 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2010 | $120 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2011 | $122 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2012 | $123 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2013 | $125 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2014 | $127 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $138 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $150 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $161 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $158 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $156 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $153 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $150 |
| 2022 | $147 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $147 per week ($638 per month, $7,657 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Shelby County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,657 a year, or 6.8% of the county's median family income. That is at or below the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
- How much does family child care cost for an infant in Shelby County?
- The median price is $146 per week ($631 per month, $7,578 per year) at a family child care home in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $152 per week ($657 per month, $7,885 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Shelby County?
- The median price is $139 per week ($603 per month, $7,235 per year) at a child care center in Shelby County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.