MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Wake County, NC?
In Wake County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $307 a week ($1,332 a month, $15,979 a year)†.
$307
per week · Wake County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $359 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 | $307† | $217† |
| Toddler | $251† | $201† |
| Preschool | $189† | $202† |
| School-age‡ | $99† | $112† |
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 Wake County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $15,979 a year† — that is 13.1% of the county’s median family income of $121,682 (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 Wake County?
Uses Wake County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN WAKE COUNTY
$15,979
per year · $1,332 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 13.1%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $8,518 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Wake County compares
- Wake County$307 /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 Wake County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Chatham CountyNC | $228 /wk |
| Durham CountyNC | $317 /wk |
| Franklin CountyNC | $200 /wk |
| Granville CountyNC | $200 /wk |
| Harnett CountyNC | $197 /wk |
| Johnston CountyNC | $216 /wk |
| Nash CountyNC | $157 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Wake County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $215 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $224 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $241 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $258 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $276 |
| 2019 | $293 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $310 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $307 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Wake County?
- The median price is $307 per week ($1,332 per month, $15,979 per year) at a child care center in Wake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Wake County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $15,979 a year, or 13.1% 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 Wake County?
- The median price is $217 per week ($938 per month, $11,260 per year) at a family child care home in Wake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Wake County?
- The median price is $251 per week ($1,088 per month, $13,061 per year) at a child care center in Wake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Wake County?
- The median price is $189 per week ($817 per month, $9,809 per year) at a child care center in Wake County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.