MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Caldwell County, NC?
In Caldwell County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $164 a week ($712 a month, $8,538 a year)†.
$164
per week · Caldwell County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $192 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 | $164† | $150† |
| Toddler | $137† | $130† |
| Preschool | $115† | $137† |
| School-age‡ | $63† | $64† |
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 Caldwell County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,538 a year† — that is 12.7% of the county’s median family income of $67,132 (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 Caldwell County?
Uses Caldwell County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN CALDWELL COUNTY
$8,538
per year · $712 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 12.7%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $4,699 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Caldwell County compares
- Caldwell County$164 /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 Caldwell County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Alexander CountyNC | $159 /wk |
| Avery CountyNC | $238 /wk |
| Burke CountyNC | $181 /wk |
| Catawba CountyNC | $183 /wk |
| Watauga CountyNC | $180 /wk |
| Wilkes CountyNC | $183 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Caldwell County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $135 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $136 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $141 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $145 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $150 |
| 2019 | $155 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $159 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $164 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Caldwell County?
- The median price is $164 per week ($712 per month, $8,538 per year) at a child care center in Caldwell County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Caldwell County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,538 a year, or 12.7% 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 Caldwell County?
- The median price is $150 per week ($648 per month, $7,780 per year) at a family child care home in Caldwell County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Caldwell County?
- The median price is $137 per week ($595 per month, $7,140 per year) at a child care center in Caldwell County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Caldwell County?
- The median price is $115 per week ($500 per month, $6,001 per year) at a child care center in Caldwell County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.