Brand intelligence · For owners & investors

KinderCare real estate: cap rates, lease structures & what centers sell for.

If you own a building leased to KinderCare — or want to buy one — here's what real sold transactions show: what they trade at, what rent they carry, and how the leases are structured.

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Independent market data from Little Scholars Real Estate. We are not affiliated with KinderCare Learning Companies.
6.67%
Median sold cap rate, KinderCare properties
$381
Median price per SF
$29.13
Median rent per SF / yr
62
KinderCare sales in our dataset, across 23 states
Source: Little Scholars sold-comps dataset — 592 childcare transactions across 41 states, compiled from public records; updated June 2026.
What the sales show

National credit gets paid for: KinderCare trades tighter than the market.

Across our dataset, KinderCare-tenanted properties have sold at a median cap rate of 6.67% — versus 7.11% across all childcare sales. That spread is the market pricing a national tenant's credit: at the same rent, a KinderCare building typically commands more than the identical building with an independent operator.

Median pricing came in at $381 per square foot, also above the all-childcare median of $322. Any individual deal turns on remaining term, rent level versus market, and the site.

Source: Little Scholars sold-comps dataset; medians from 62 KinderCare sales (46 with reported cap rate).
6.67%
Median cap, KinderCare
7.11%
Median cap, all childcare
$381
Median $/SF, KinderCare
$322
Median $/SF, all childcare
Versus its peers

How KinderCare stacks up against the other national chains.

Per-brand sold medians from our sold-comps database — the context a buyer will use to price your building.

BrandMedian sold capMedian $/SF
The Learning Experience7.00%$460
KinderCare6.67%$381
Primrose7.20%$401
Kiddie Academy6.46%$378
Goddard School7.20%$411
La Petite Academy6.89%$207
Tutor Time8.47%$372
Childtime6.20%$262
Source: national per-brand medians from the Little Scholars sold-comps dataset, compiled from public records; updated June 2026.
Lease structure reality

Long terms, fixed options — and what that means for you.

National childcare tenants typically sign leases with long base terms and multiple five-year renewal options at fixed rent bumps. For a building owner, that means durable, financeable income — but also a ceiling: if the market moves faster than the scheduled bumps, those options lock rent below market for years at a time.

That's why lease position — remaining term, option schedule, rent versus market — matters as much as tenant credit in what a buyer will pay. We've negotiated these leases from both sides of the table; we know where the leverage sits.

Based on Little Scholars' brokerage experience across childcare transactions; no specific lease is cited.

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FAQ

Questions from owners & investors.

What cap rate does a KinderCare property sell at?
In our sold-comps dataset, KinderCare-tenanted properties have sold at a median cap of roughly 6.7% — tighter than the ~7.1% median across all childcare sales — reflecting the tenant's national credit. Individual deals vary with lease term, rent level, and location.
What lease structure does KinderCare typically sign?
National childcare tenants typically operate on long base terms with multiple five-year renewal options at fixed rent bumps. That gives landlords durable income but also caps upside — which is why lease position matters so much to a building's value.
Is Little Scholars affiliated with KinderCare?
No. Little Scholars Real Estate is an independent childcare-only brokerage. The data on this page comes from our own sold-comps dataset and our own 2025 tuition survey — not from KinderCare Learning Companies.
How do I find out what my KinderCare-tenanted building is worth?
Our instant valuation tool estimates value from your rent, lease terms, and comparable sold childcare properties — free and confidential.