MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Rutherford County, NC?
In Rutherford County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $161 a week ($698 a month, $8,377 a year)†.
$161
per week · Rutherford County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $188 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 | $161† | $142† |
| Toddler | $142† | $108† |
| Preschool | $113† | $113† |
| School-age‡ | $65† | $89† |
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 Rutherford County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,377 a year† — that is 13.4% of the county’s median family income of $62,564 (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 Rutherford County?
Uses Rutherford County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY
$8,377
per year · $698 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 13.4%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $4,379 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Rutherford County compares
- Rutherford County$161 /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 Rutherford County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Buncombe CountyNC | $191 /wk |
| Burke CountyNC | $181 /wk |
| Cherokee CountySC | $113 /wk |
| Cleveland CountyNC | $159 /wk |
| Henderson CountyNC | $195 /wk |
| McDowell CountyNC | $164 /wk |
| Polk CountyNC | $181 /wk |
| Spartanburg CountySC | $199 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Rutherford County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $134 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $135 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $139 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $143 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $147 |
| 2019 | $151 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $155 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $161 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Rutherford County?
- The median price is $161 per week ($698 per month, $8,377 per year) at a child care center in Rutherford County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Rutherford County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $8,377 a year, or 13.4% 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 Rutherford County?
- The median price is $142 per week ($614 per month, $7,363 per year) at a family child care home in Rutherford County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Rutherford County?
- The median price is $142 per week ($615 per month, $7,386 per year) at a child care center in Rutherford County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Rutherford County?
- The median price is $113 per week ($488 per month, $5,860 per year) at a child care center in Rutherford County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.