ChildcareCost

MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED

How much does childcare cost in Wilkes County, NC?

In Wilkes County, NC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $183 a week ($794 a month, $9,524 a year).

$183

per week · Wilkes County, NC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL

$214 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

Median childcare price in Wilkes County by age group and care setting, shown per week.
AgeCenter-basedFamily childcare
Infant$183$126
Toddler$159$131
Preschool$109$109
School-age$59$62

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 Wilkes County?

Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,524 a year — that is 15.7% of the county’s median family income of $60,492 (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 Wilkes County?

Uses Wilkes County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.

$
Children in care

ESTIMATED COST IN WILKES COUNTY

$9,524

per year · $794 per month (÷ 12)

Share of income
15.7%
Benchmark (7% of income)
$4,234 /yr

That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.

INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY

How Wilkes County compares

  • Wilkes County$183 /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 Wilkes County

Neighboring counties and their infant center-based weekly childcare price.
CountyInfant, center
Alexander CountyNC$159 /wk
Alleghany CountyNC$109 /wk
Ashe CountyNC$169 /wk
Caldwell CountyNC$164 /wk
Iredell CountyNC$223 /wk
Surry CountyNC$176 /wk
Watauga CountyNC$180 /wk
Yadkin CountyNC$137 /wk

PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY

How childcare prices in Wilkes County changed

$1312014$1382015$1482016$1582017$1672018$1772019$1872020$1832022
Median weekly childcare price in Wilkes County by year.
YearMedian weekly price
2014$131 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2015$138 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2016$148 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2017$158 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2018$167
2019$177 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2020$187 (statistically imputed by DOL)
2022$183 (statistically imputed by DOL)

† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently asked questions

How much does infant childcare cost in Wilkes County?
The median price is $183 per week ($794 per month, $9,524 per year) at a child care center in Wilkes County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
Is childcare affordable in Wilkes County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $9,524 a year, or 15.7% 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 Wilkes County?
The median price is $126 per week ($544 per month, $6,527 per year) at a family child care home in Wilkes County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
How much does toddler daycare cost in Wilkes County?
The median price is $159 per week ($689 per month, $8,266 per year) at a child care center in Wilkes County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
How much does preschool cost in Wilkes County?
The median price is $109 per week ($472 per month, $5,662 per year) at a child care center in Wilkes County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.