MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Dare County, NC?
In Dare County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $230 a week ($997 a month, $11,967 a year)†.
$230
per week · Dare County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $269 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 | $230† | $192† |
| Toddler | $204† | $162† |
| Preschool | $177† | $163† |
| School-age‡ | $102† | $117† |
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 Dare County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,967 a year† — that is 11.7% of the county’s median family income of $101,908 (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 Dare County?
Uses Dare County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN DARE COUNTY
$11,967
per year · $997 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.7%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,134 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Dare County compares
- Dare County$230 /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 Dare County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Currituck CountyNC | $172 /wk |
| Hyde CountyNC | $170 /wk |
| Tyrrell CountyNC | $109 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Dare County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $222 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $216 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $214 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $212 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $210 |
| 2019 | $208 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $206 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $230 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Dare County?
- The median price is $230 per week ($997 per month, $11,967 per year) at a child care center in Dare County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Dare County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $11,967 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 Dare County?
- The median price is $192 per week ($832 per month, $9,983 per year) at a family child care home in Dare County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Dare County?
- The median price is $204 per week ($885 per month, $10,623 per year) at a child care center in Dare County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Dare County?
- The median price is $177 per week ($767 per month, $9,209 per year) at a child care center in Dare County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.