MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Columbus County, NC?
In Columbus County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $139 a week ($603 a month, $7,239 a year)†.
$139
per week · Columbus County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $163 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 | $139† | $112† |
| Toddler | $135† | $95† |
| Preschool | $116† | $91† |
| School-age‡ | $89† | $134† |
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 Columbus County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,239 a year† — that is 12.9% of the county’s median family income of $55,941 (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 Columbus County?
Uses Columbus County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN COLUMBUS COUNTY
$7,239
per year · $603 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 12.9%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $3,916 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Columbus County compares
- Columbus County$139 /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 Columbus County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Bladen CountyNC | $109 /wk |
| Brunswick CountyNC | $184 /wk |
| Dillon CountySC | $111 /wk |
| Horry CountySC | $199 /wk |
| Pender CountyNC | $199 /wk |
| Robeson CountyNC | $148 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Columbus County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $141 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $140 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $138 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $137 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $135 |
| 2019 | $133 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $132 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $139 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Columbus County?
- The median price is $139 per week ($603 per month, $7,239 per year) at a child care center in Columbus County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Columbus County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,239 a year, or 12.9% 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 Columbus County?
- The median price is $112 per week ($487 per month, $5,846 per year) at a family child care home in Columbus County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Columbus County?
- The median price is $135 per week ($585 per month, $7,019 per year) at a child care center in Columbus County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Columbus County?
- The median price is $116 per week ($503 per month, $6,031 per year) at a child care center in Columbus County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.