MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Polk County, NC?
In Polk County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $181 a week ($783 a month, $9,393 a year)†.
$181
per week · Polk County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $211 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 | $181† | $158† |
| Toddler | $173† | $148† |
| Preschool | $85† | $131† |
| School-age‡ | $46† | $103† |
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 Polk County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,393 a year† — that is 12.1% of the county’s median family income of $77,388 (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 Polk County?
Uses Polk County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN POLK COUNTY
$9,393
per year · $783 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 12.1%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,417 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Polk County compares
- Polk County$181 /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 Polk County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Greenville CountySC | $202 /wk |
| Henderson CountyNC | $195 /wk |
| Rutherford CountyNC | $161 /wk |
| Spartanburg CountySC | $199 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Polk County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $190 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $181 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $175 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $170 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $165 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $155 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $181 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $181 per week ($783 per month, $9,393 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Polk County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,393 a year, or 12.1% 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 Polk County?
- The median price is $158 per week ($685 per month, $8,217 per year) at a family child care home in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $173 per week ($751 per month, $9,016 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Polk County?
- The median price is $85 per week ($370 per month, $4,442 per year) at a child care center in Polk County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.