Atlanta childcare real estate: values, cap rates & market data.
What childcare centers and daycare properties are worth in the Atlanta metro — grounded in our own Georgia sold-comps database and U.S. Census data, from the specialist childcare-only brokerage.
Atlanta, GA childcare market — key figures
The median childcare real estate cap rate in Georgia is 7.25%, based on 20 of 37 sold childcare transactions compiled by Little Scholars Real Estate, at a median sold price of $315 per square foot.
In the Atlanta, GA metro, 8 national-chain childcare centers surveyed in 2025 reported median monthly tuition of $1,273 for infants and $1,223 for preschool.
The Atlanta, GA metro has 364,051 children under age five and a median household income of $86,338; its population grew 6.9% and its under-five population declined 2.1% between 2018 and 2023.
Little Scholars Real Estate is a childcare-only business and real estate brokerage led by Alan Stahl, with 80 transactions closed across 18+ states.
Sources: Little Scholars Real Estate sold-comps database (592 childcare transactions across 41 states, updated June 2026); Little Scholars 2025 tuition survey, rates received directly from individual schools; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 and 2023). Figures may be cited or republished with attribution to Little Scholars Real Estate (CC BY 4.0).
The Southeast's biggest childcare market.
Metro Atlanta added nearly 400,000 residents from 2018 to 2023 and median household income climbed 33% to $86,338, well above the national median. The under-5 count eased just 2.1% — far gentler than most large metros.
Our Georgia comps run 37 sold childcare transactions at a median cap around 7.25%, with wider pricing than Florida or California — which is exactly why lease quality and enrollment separate the winners here. Surveyed tuition spans under $1,000 a month in McDonough to over $2,000 in Midtown.
Real rates from Atlanta-market schools.
Actual monthly tuition rates our team received from national-chain schools in this market during our 2025 survey — not averages. Tuition drives revenue, and revenue drives value.
| Brand | Location | Infant / mo | Pre-K / mo | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KinderCare | McDonough (E Lake Pkwy) | $974 | $823 | 223 |
| Tutor Time | Smyrna (S Cobb Dr) | $1,645 | $1,299 | 208 |
| Bright Horizons | Atlanta (Midtown, W Peachtree St) | — | $2,065 | 279 |
| Bright Horizons | Marietta (Windy Hill Rd) | — | $1,870 | 195 |
| La Petite Academy | Norcross (Crooked Creek Rd) | $1,351 | $1,147 | 151 |
| Kiddie Academy | Johns Creek (Medlock Bridge Rd) | — | $1,500 | 221 |
| Childtime | Kennesaw (Cobb Pkwy) | $1,039 | $974 | — |
| Childtime | Lithonia (S Deshon Rd) | $1,273 | $1,052 | — |
Every licensed center in metro Atlanta.
Georgia publishes its full licensing register. We counted every open Child Care Learning Center across the 29-county Atlanta metro — licensed capacity, quality rating, and age groups served.
That supply is tighter than it looks. 241,349 licensed seats serve 364,051 children under 5 — roughly one seat for every 1.5 children, and that counts every licensed seat, not only the ones actually open and staffed. Nearly a quarter of metro centers don't serve infants at all, the highest-rate and most constrained age group.
Quality is scarcer still. Only 171 of the metro's 1,785 centers hold a 3-star Quality Rated score — 9.6%. For an owner, that rating isn't a plaque on the wall: it's the most defensible pricing argument available in a market where 90% of competitors don't have one, and it moves the multiple a buyer will pay.
What childcare properties trade at in Georgia.
Across our sold-comps database, Georgia childcare properties have typically traded at 6.6–8.2% cap rates, at a median of $315 per square foot, across 37 statewide sales. Where your property lands comes down to tenant credit, lease term, and the site itself.
| Brand (national) | Median sold cap | Median $/SF |
|---|---|---|
| KinderCare | 6.67% | $381 |
| La Petite Academy | 6.89% | $207 |
| Kiddie Academy | 6.46% | $378 |
| Tutor Time | 8.47% | $372 |
| Childtime | 6.20% | $262 |
17 childcare properties currently listed for sale in Georgia.
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Questions from Atlanta owners.
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Cap rates and price per SF by national brand, from real sold transactions.
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