How much does daycare tuition cost in Charlotte, NC?

In Little Scholars' 2025 survey of national-chain schools in the Charlotte market, actual monthly rates ran roughly $1,546–$1,819 for infants and $1,264–$1,559 for Pre-K, with medians of $1,639 (infant) and $1,369 (Pre-K). Rates were received directly from each school and vary by program and location.

Market intelligence · Charlotte, NC

Charlotte childcare real estate: values, cap rates & market data.

Q: What cap rates do childcare properties sell at in North Carolina?

Based on Little Scholars' sold-comps dataset, childcare real estate in North Carolina has typically traded at cap rates in the high-6% to low-7% range in recent years, with the median around 7%. Individual deals vary with tenant credit, lease term, and location.

Q: Who buys childcare centers in the Charlotte area?

Buyers include regional and national operators expanding in the Southeast, franchisees, and net-lease real estate investors. Little Scholars maintains a network of 2,800+ childcare and net-lease investors who actively acquire early-education assets.

Q: Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. Little Scholars runs confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared.

What childcare centers and daycare properties are worth in the Charlotte metro — grounded in our own sold-comps database, our 2025 tuition survey, and U.S. Census data.

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161,309

Children under 5 in the Charlotte metro (2023)

+9.7%

Metro population growth, 2018–2023

$80,201

Median household income — above the U.S. national median

+3.7%

Change in under-5 population, 2018–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 & 2023), Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area.

Charlotte, NC childcare market — key figures

The median childcare real estate cap rate in North Carolina is 7.1%, based on 24 of 34 sold childcare transactions compiled by Little Scholars Real Estate, at a median sold price of $285 per square foot.

In the Charlotte, NC metro, 6 national-chain childcare centers surveyed in 2025 reported median monthly tuition of $1,639 for infants and $1,369 for preschool.

The Charlotte, NC metro has 161,309 children under age five and a median household income of $80,201; its population grew 9.7% and its under-five population grew 3.7% 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).

What this means for owners

Charlotte's demographics are working for your center's value.

The Charlotte metro added nearly 240,000 residents between 2018 and 2023, and its under-5 population is still growing — at a time when many metros are losing young children. More families earning above the national median translates into enrollment demand, and enrollment demand is what underpins a center's enterprise value.

For an owner weighing a sale, that matters twice: business buyers pay up for stable enrollment in growing markets, and real-estate investors pay up for tenants backed by those same demographics.

2025 tuition rates · Charlotte market

Real rates from Charlotte-market schools.

Actual monthly tuition rates our team received from national-chain schools in the Charlotte market during our 2025 survey — not averages. Tuition drives revenue, and revenue drives value.

$1,639

Median infant rate / mo · Charlotte market

$1,369

Median preschool rate / mo · Charlotte market

73%

Median occupancy (enrollment ÷ licensed capacity), schools reporting

Brand	Location	Infant / mo	Pre-K / mo	Licensed capacity
Tutor Time	Charlotte (Erwin Rd)	$1,624	$1,373	195
Tutor Time	Charlotte (J N Pease Pl)	$1,546	$1,264	186
Tutor Time	Mint Hill	$1,654	$1,438	195
Tutor Time	Mooresville	$1,702	$1,360	199
Bright Horizons	Charlotte (N Sharon Amity Rd)	$1,580	$1,364	164
Kiddie Academy	Fort Mill, SC	$1,819	$1,559	240

Disclosure: these rates and enrollment figures were manually received by our team, directly from each school, during our 2025 survey. Only schools that shared rates are shown; figures may have changed since. Medians are computed across the schools shown; median occupancy uses only schools that reported exact enrollment. Licensed capacity per state licensing records. Source: Little Scholars 2025 brand rate survey.

National chain benchmarks

What the national chains trade at.

Median sold cap rates and price per square foot by brand, from our own sold-comps database of childcare real estate transactions.

Brand	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

Source: national per-brand medians from the Little Scholars sold-comps dataset (592 transactions, 41 states; updated June 2026), compiled from public records.

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Market activity

11 childcare properties currently listed for sale in North Carolina.

Source: on-market childcare listings on Crexi as of July 20, 2026, reviewed by our team for childcare relevance. Availability changes daily; contact us for current opportunities.

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Why Little Scholars

The childcare broker who's run one.

NEARLY40

Years in the industry

Centers sold

18⁺

States nationwide

2,800⁺

Investors in our network

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FAQ

Questions from Charlotte owners.

How much does daycare tuition cost in Charlotte?

In our 2025 survey of national-chain schools in the Charlotte market, actual rates ran roughly $1,546–$1,819/mo for infants and $1,264–$1,559/mo for Pre-K, with medians of $1,639 and $1,369. Rates were received directly from each school and vary by program and location.

What cap rates do childcare properties sell at in North Carolina?

Based on our sold-comps dataset, North Carolina childcare real estate has typically traded between 6.8% and 7.3%, with the median around 7%. Individual deals vary with tenant credit, lease term, and location.

How much is my Charlotte daycare business worth?

Childcare businesses are usually valued on a multiple of SDE or EBITDA, and the real estate on its income and comparable sales. Our instant valuation tool estimates both — free and confidential.

Who buys childcare centers in the Charlotte area?

Regional and national operators expanding in the Southeast, franchisees, and net-lease real-estate investors. We maintain a network of 2,800+ childcare and net-lease investors who actively acquire early-education assets.

Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. We run confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared. Here's how our process works.

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