MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Watauga County, NC?
In Watauga County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $180 a week ($782 a month, $9,380 a year)†.
$180
per week · Watauga 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 | $180† | $158† |
| Toddler | $150† | $124† |
| Preschool | $162† | $155† |
| School-age‡ | $125† | $143† |
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 Watauga County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,380 a year† — that is 10.9% of the county’s median family income of $85,689 (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 Watauga County?
Uses Watauga County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN WATAUGA COUNTY
$9,380
per year · $782 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 10.9%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $5,998 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Watauga County compares
- Watauga County$180 /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 Watauga County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Ashe CountyNC | $169 /wk |
| Avery CountyNC | $238 /wk |
| Caldwell CountyNC | $164 /wk |
| Johnson CountyTN | $131 /wk |
| Wilkes CountyNC | $183 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Watauga County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $211 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $197 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $190 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $182 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $175 |
| 2019 | $167 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $180 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Watauga County?
- The median price is $180 per week ($782 per month, $9,380 per year) at a child care center in Watauga County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Watauga County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,380 a year, or 10.9% 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 Watauga County?
- The median price is $158 per week ($686 per month, $8,235 per year) at a family child care home in Watauga County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Watauga County?
- The median price is $150 per week ($650 per month, $7,799 per year) at a child care center in Watauga County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Watauga County?
- The median price is $162 per week ($700 per month, $8,400 per year) at a child care center in Watauga County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.