What care costs for a preschooler and for two children, county by county, and how it compares with what families here earn.
Full-time care for a 4-year-old costs about $7,602 a year in the typical county in Alabama, or $634 a month, 5.4% less than the $8,040 for the typical county nationally. Care for a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old comes to about $14,410 a year. The cost of care for one preschooler is 9.9% of median family income in the typical county.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services counts child care as affordable when it takes no more than 7% of family income. For one 4-year-old, 1 of Alabama's 67 counties meets that at the median family income; nationally, 259 of 3,131 counties do. In the budget EPI draws up for two parents and two children, child care is 14.9% of the total in the typical county.
Build a budget with your own child care cost, or see the rest of what Alabama costs.
Care for a 4-year-old costs most in Cullman County ($8,509), Franklin County ($8,509) and Winston County ($8,509), and least in Jackson County ($5,100), DeKalb County ($5,100) and Cherokee County ($5,100). Metro counties are priced at child care centers, other counties at home-based family child care.
| Autauga County | $7,602 | $634 | $14,508 | 9.1% |
| Baldwin County | $7,476 | $623 | $14,255 | 8.0% |
| Barbour County | $6,431 | $536 | $11,027 | 10.6% |
| Bibb County | $7,831 | $653 | $15,433 | 11.6% |
| Blount County | $8,392 | $699 | $15,924 | 11.0% |
| Bullock County | $7,890 | $658 | $15,031 | 17.2% |
| Butler County | $7,880 | $657 | $15,013 | 12.2% |
| Calhoun County | $6,969 | $581 | $13,178 | 9.7% |
| Chambers County | $7,812 | $651 | $15,688 | 12.3% |
| Cherokee County | $5,100 | $425 | $10,201 | 7.7% |
| Chilton County | $7,553 | $629 | $14,410 | 10.2% |
| Choctaw County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 9.5% |
| Clarke County | $7,867 | $656 | $13,833 | 10.8% |
| Clay County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,706 | 10.2% |
| Cleburne County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,706 | 8.2% |
| Coffee County | $6,431 | $536 | $11,027 | 8.0% |
| Colbert County | $7,729 | $644 | $14,596 | 10.9% |
| Conecuh County | $7,867 | $656 | $13,833 | 14.1% |
| Coosa County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,706 | 9.2% |
| Covington County | $7,890 | $658 | $15,031 | 12.0% |
| Crenshaw County | $6,425 | $535 | $11,014 | 9.7% |
| Cullman County | $8,509 | $709 | $16,906 | 11.2% |
| Dale County | $6,431 | $536 | $11,027 | 9.2% |
| Dallas County | $7,890 | $658 | $15,031 | 15.0% |
| DeKalb County | $5,100 | $425 | $10,201 | 8.5% |
| Elmore County | $7,602 | $634 | $14,508 | 8.3% |
| Escambia County | $7,877 | $656 | $13,852 | 13.0% |
| Etowah County | $6,298 | $525 | $12,697 | 9.3% |
| Fayette County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 8.8% |
| Franklin County | $8,509 | $709 | $16,906 | 12.9% |
| Geneva County | $6,674 | $556 | $12,958 | 10.5% |
| Greene County | $7,781 | $648 | $15,333 | 17.8% |
| Hale County | $7,781 | $648 | $15,333 | 10.9% |
| Henry County | $6,674 | $556 | $12,958 | 8.4% |
| Houston County | $6,716 | $560 | $13,039 | 9.1% |
| Jackson County | $5,100 | $425 | $10,201 | 8.1% |
| Jefferson County | $8,441 | $703 | $16,013 | 9.9% |
| Lamar County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 10.5% |
| Lauderdale County | $7,729 | $644 | $14,596 | 9.8% |
| Lawrence County | $7,671 | $639 | $14,484 | 9.9% |
| Lee County | $7,641 | $637 | $14,888 | 8.6% |
| Limestone County | $7,729 | $644 | $14,596 | 7.6% |
| Lowndes County | $7,553 | $629 | $14,410 | 15.1% |
| Macon County | $7,812 | $651 | $15,688 | 14.3% |
| Madison County | $7,729 | $644 | $14,596 | 7.2% |
| Marengo County | $6,301 | $525 | $12,602 | 8.7% |
| Marion County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 9.4% |
| Marshall County | $5,106 | $426 | $10,213 | 6.7% |
| Mobile County | $7,476 | $623 | $14,255 | 10.1% |
| Monroe County | $7,867 | $656 | $13,833 | 12.9% |
| Montgomery County | $7,587 | $632 | $14,477 | 10.5% |
| Morgan County | $7,729 | $644 | $14,596 | 9.4% |
| Perry County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 16.6% |
| Pickens County | $7,781 | $648 | $15,333 | 12.6% |
| Pike County | $6,431 | $536 | $11,027 | 8.9% |
| Randolph County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,706 | 9.2% |
| Russell County | $7,641 | $637 | $14,888 | 12.3% |
| Shelby County | $8,464 | $705 | $16,053 | 7.3% |
| St. Clair County | $8,392 | $699 | $15,924 | 9.2% |
| Sumter County | $6,294 | $525 | $12,588 | 13.2% |
| Talladega County | $6,301 | $525 | $12,720 | 9.2% |
| Tallapoosa County | $7,802 | $650 | $15,669 | 11.1% |
| Tuscaloosa County | $7,831 | $653 | $15,433 | 9.1% |
| Walker County | $7,867 | $656 | $15,538 | 10.9% |
| Washington County | $7,422 | $619 | $14,148 | 8.7% |
| Wilcox County | $7,880 | $657 | $15,013 | 14.5% |
| Winston County | $8,509 | $709 | $16,906 | 13.2% |
Click a column to sort it. The share compares care for one 4-year-old with the county's median family income. A dash means EPI publishes no income figure for that county.
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