Daycare cost in South Carolina, by the numbers.

South Carolina runs slightly below the national median on daycare price, with the ceiling concentrated in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, and the rest of the Charleston peninsula and East Cooper corridor; in Greenville's Augusta Road and Cleveland Park neighborhoods; and in the Bluffton-Hilton Head retirement and resort corridor. The state also runs a sizable income-targeted four-year-old program (4K CDEPP) that can dramatically reset the math at age four for qualifying families. This guide pulls the most recent county-level data, walks through 4K CDEPP and the ABC voucher program, and shows where the price ranges actually come from.

The headline numbers

In 2026 dollars, full-time center-based daycare in South Carolina runs roughly $725 to $1,475 per month for infants and roughly $625 to $1,250 per month for preschool-age children. Licensed family child care homes typically charge 15 to 25 percent less than centers in the same county. These ranges come from the National Database of Childcare Prices for South Carolina counties and the most recent SC DSS market rate study, not single-point averages.

Infant care in South Carolina typically prices 20 to 35 percent above preschool-age care because of staff-to-child ratio rules. SC DSS sets the infant ratio at 1:5 in licensed centers under SC Code Title 63 Chapter 13 and DSS Regulation 114-500, with one-year-old ratios at 1:6, two-year-old ratios at 1:8, three-year-old ratios at 1:12, and four-year-old ratios at 1:18. Ratios are looser than in most states, which keeps tuition lower than in similar-cost-of-living states, particularly at the preschool-age end.

By metro

These ranges represent licensed care at established providers. Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island sit at the top because of household income concentration in East Cooper and the broader Charleston professional corridor. Greenville's Augusta Road and Cleveland Park neighborhoods anchor the Upstate top tier. Bluffton and Hilton Head carry a coastal and retiree-adjacent professional premium. Downtown Charleston, James Island, and West Ashley sit in the upper-middle band. Columbia's Forest Acres and Lexington sit in the middle, as do the Greenville-Spartanburg and Rock Hill-Fort Mill corridors. North Charleston, Goose Creek, and Summerville sit a notch below. Myrtle Beach, Florence, and rural Pee Dee, Upstate, and Low Country counties sit at the bottom of the licensed-care range, with supply thin enough in many rural counties that the listed price is also the only price.

Why South Carolina costs what it does

South Carolina's daycare cost structure has three dominant drivers. First, the Charleston tech and Boeing employer base anchors above-average household incomes in East Cooper, with the upstate's BMW, Michelin, and Greenville Hospital System (Prisma Health) employer base anchoring premium demand in the Greenville corridor. Second, South Carolina's state minimum wage matches the federal $7.25, so licensed-center wages sit relatively low on a regional labor market; this is the biggest reason South Carolina's tuition ranges run below the national median. Third, ratios are looser than in most states (particularly for preschool-age groups), which keeps the per-child staff cost embedded in tuition lower than in comparable Southeast markets.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for South Carolina show child care worker and preschool teacher wages below the national median statewide, with metro Charleston, Greenville, and the Beaufort-Hilton Head area paying meaningfully above the state median. Licensed-center rents in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Greenville's Augusta Road corridor, and Bluffton drive the highest-end tuition; the wage floor underneath drives the middle and lower ends.

The 4K CDEPP effect

4K CDEPP (the Child Development Education Pilot Program) is South Carolina's targeted four-year-old preschool program, administered jointly by SCDE for public school sites and the South Carolina Office of First Steps for private-provider sites. The program serves four-year-olds at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, in foster care, or whose families participate in Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF. Coverage is available statewide and is a sizable lift for working families in the eligibility band.

NIEER's State of Preschool yearbook ranks South Carolina in the upper-middle tier for four-year-old access growth, with quality benchmarks tied to lead teacher credentials and developmental screening requirements. Head Start, administered by federal grantees including SC Office of First Steps and local community action agencies, layers additional capacity for the lowest-income three- and four-year-olds.

Subsidy math: ABC voucher program

The ABC Child Care Program is South Carolina's federal Child Care and Development Fund subsidy, administered by the South Carolina Department of Social Services Division of Early Care and Education. The voucher covers a portion of licensed centers, registered family child care homes, and some license-exempt care for income-eligible working families and families in approved education or training. Initial eligibility under South Carolina's current state plan runs at or below 85 percent of state median income, with a graduated exit ceiling that softens the cliff effect.

ABC voucher reimbursement is tiered by ABC Quality rating, with Levels B+ through A receiving higher reimbursement than baseline-licensed programs. Family copays are calculated on a sliding scale tied to family size and income. Apply through SC DSS or your local DSS county office. The program is funded through the federal CCDBG and a state match; in periods of constrained funding the agency can implement a waitlist, with TANF and child welfare families typically prioritized.

Federal and state credits

Three federal tools stack on top of any South Carolina subsidy: the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit on IRS Form 2441, the Dependent Care FSA at most employers (up to $5,000 per family per year of pre-tax savings), and the federal Child Tax Credit. South Carolina also offers a state-level Child and Dependent Care Credit, calculated as 7 percent of qualifying expenses on the SC1040 schedule. Lower-income South Carolina families may also qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and the South Carolina Earned Income Tax Credit (a percentage of the federal EITC).

What to expect at each price point

At the high end of the South Carolina range, you are typically paying for an accredited center (NAEYC, NECPA, or NAFCC), with credentialed lead teachers holding at least a CDA and frequently a bachelor's in early childhood, a documented curriculum with developmental screening, and low staff turnover. At the low end, you are typically paying for state licensure with basic compliance training, smaller program budgets, and adequate but not exceptional materials. Both are legitimate models, and quality varies inside each band.

National accreditation and the public ABC Quality rating are useful filters for parents because both are public and audit-based. ABC Quality level, age groups served, capacity, and licensing inspection history are all available through SC Child Care's provider search. Many strong unrated programs exist, but accredited and well-inspected sites give you a public audit trail to work with.

Where to go next

Walk through the cost calculator to model your own South Carolina year with the ABC voucher, 4K CDEPP, FSA, and the federal and state credits factored in. Use the comparison checklist and tour questions when you start visiting centers. Read the South Carolina 4K CDEPP explainer, our subsidized daycare guide, our daycare tax credit explainer, and the broader cost pillar.

For city-level breakdowns, see Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. The South Carolina state guide covers licensing, the full ABC and 4K CDEPP landscape, and the overall regulatory environment in more detail.