MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Mecklenburg County, NC?
In Mecklenburg County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $284 a week ($1,231 a month, $14,774 a year)†.
$284
per week · Mecklenburg County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $332 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 | $284† | $189† |
| Toddler | $251† | $180† |
| Preschool | $171† | $180† |
| School-age‡ | $90† | $100† |
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 Mecklenburg County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,774 a year† — that is 14.7% of the county’s median family income of $100,267 (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 Mecklenburg County?
Uses Mecklenburg County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
$14,774
per year · $1,231 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 14.7%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $7,019 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Mecklenburg County compares
- Mecklenburg County$284 /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 Mecklenburg County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Cabarrus CountyNC | $258 /wk |
| Gaston CountyNC | $148 /wk |
| Iredell CountyNC | $223 /wk |
| Lancaster CountySC | $222 /wk |
| Lincoln CountyNC | $197 /wk |
| Union CountyNC | $248 /wk |
| York CountySC | $199 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Mecklenburg County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $213 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $222 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $233 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $244 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $255 |
| 2019 | $266 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $277 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $284 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Mecklenburg County?
- The median price is $284 per week ($1,231 per month, $14,774 per year) at a child care center in Mecklenburg County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Mecklenburg County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $14,774 a year, or 14.7% 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 Mecklenburg County?
- The median price is $189 per week ($821 per month, $9,852 per year) at a family child care home in Mecklenburg County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Mecklenburg County?
- The median price is $251 per week ($1,088 per month, $13,061 per year) at a child care center in Mecklenburg County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Mecklenburg County?
- The median price is $171 per week ($741 per month, $8,891 per year) at a child care center in Mecklenburg County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.