MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Buncombe County, NC?
In Buncombe County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $191 a week ($827 a month, $9,920 a year)†.
$191
per week · Buncombe County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $223 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 | $191† | $177† |
| Toddler | $165† | $160† |
| Preschool | $175† | $138† |
| School-age‡ | $135† | $185† |
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 Buncombe County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,920 a year† — that is 11.7% of the county’s median family income of $85,099 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Buncombe County?
Uses Buncombe County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY
$9,920
per year · $827 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.7%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,957 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Buncombe County compares
- Buncombe County$191 /wk†
- North Carolina median$203 /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 Buncombe County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Haywood CountyNC | $203 /wk |
| Henderson CountyNC | $195 /wk |
| Madison CountyNC | $149 /wk |
| McDowell CountyNC | $164 /wk |
| Rutherford CountyNC | $161 /wk |
| Transylvania CountyNC | $188 /wk |
| Yancey CountyNC | $195 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Buncombe County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $201 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $194 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $191 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $188 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $185 |
| 2019 | $182 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $179 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $191 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Buncombe County?
- The median price is $191 per week ($827 per month, $9,920 per year) at a child care center in Buncombe County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Buncombe County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,920 a year, or 11.7% of the county's median family income. That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
- How much does family child care cost for an infant in Buncombe County?
- The median price is $177 per week ($769 per month, $9,223 per year) at a family child care home in Buncombe County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Buncombe County?
- The median price is $165 per week ($715 per month, $8,579 per year) at a child care center in Buncombe County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Buncombe County?
- The median price is $175 per week ($758 per month, $9,099 per year) at a child care center in Buncombe County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.