MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Wayne County, NC?
In Wayne County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $153 a week ($665 a month, $7,978 a year)†.
$153
per week · Wayne County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $179 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 | $153† | $156† |
| Toddler | $138† | $135† |
| Preschool | $123† | $125† |
| School-age‡ | $71† | $78† |
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 Wayne County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,978 a year† — that is 11.8% of the county’s median family income of $67,681 (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 Wayne County?
Uses Wayne County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN WAYNE COUNTY
$7,978
per year · $665 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.8%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $4,738 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Wayne County compares
- Wayne County$153 /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 Wayne County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Duplin CountyNC | $131 /wk |
| Greene CountyNC | $129 /wk |
| Johnston CountyNC | $216 /wk |
| Lenoir CountyNC | $170 /wk |
| Sampson CountyNC | $137 /wk |
| Wilson CountyNC | $175 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Wayne County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $153 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2016 | $148 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $144 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2018 | $140 |
| 2019 | $136 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $132 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $153 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Wayne County?
- The median price is $153 per week ($665 per month, $7,978 per year) at a child care center in Wayne County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Wayne County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $7,978 a year, or 11.8% 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 Wayne County?
- The median price is $156 per week ($676 per month, $8,111 per year) at a family child care home in Wayne County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Wayne County?
- The median price is $138 per week ($598 per month, $7,178 per year) at a child care center in Wayne County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Wayne County?
- The median price is $123 per week ($535 per month, $6,418 per year) at a child care center in Wayne County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.