How much does daycare cost in Tennessee?

The gap between these figures is wide, and it has three causes. The 2022 figure is the U.S. Department of Labor's price for the middle Tennessee county, built from state surveys of what providers charge. Each of the 95 counties counts the same, so the many rural counties pull it down. The 2026 figure is the middle rate among Tennessee daycares that publish prices online: mostly centers (95.7% of the 70 that post a rate), many of them in the cities.

Prices have also gone up since 2022. Posted infant rates run about $158 a week above the 2022 county price, toddler rates about $140 above it and preschool rates about $110 above it. Use the 2022 figures to compare counties, and the posted rates for what a center with a website asks today.

In 2022, center infant care in Tennessee ran from $112 a week in Decatur County to $212 a week. That highest price applied to a group of counties, including Davidson County (Nashville), Shelby County (Memphis), Knox County (Knoxville) and Hamilton County (Chattanooga), so families in the big cities face the highest county price.

Home daycares cost less for babies. The middle Tennessee county charged $91 a week for infant care in a home daycare in 2022, against $131 at a center.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services runs Child Care Payment Assistance, which helps eligible families pay for care while they work, go to school or train for a job. On DaycarePal, 2,184 Tennessee daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the Tennessee daycares that accept it.

Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify, mostly by income, and serve children from birth to age 5. The Tennessee Department of Education also funds Voluntary Pre-K, free pre-K classes for children who qualify; ask your school district.

Home daycares and part-time schedules can cost less as well. When you compare daycares, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.