Market intelligence · Phoenix, AZ

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

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 Phoenix market — grounded in our own sold-comps database, our 2025 tuition survey, and U.S. Census data.

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281,730

Children under 5 in the Phoenix metro (2023)

+5.7%

Population change, 2018–2023

$84,703

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

−7.3%

Change in under-5 population, 2018–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 & 2023), Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler, AZ Metro Area.

What this means for owners

Big boxes, big growth — the Valley at scale.

Metro Phoenix added roughly 268,000 residents from 2018 to 2023 and median household income climbed 39% to $84,703. The under-5 count eased 7.3% — the growth here is families arriving, not births.

Phoenix childcare runs at scale: our surveyed schools include licensed capacities of 250–393 children, some of the largest in the country. Arizona comps trade around a 7.0% median cap on 35 sales — deep, liquid, and friendly to institutional buyers.

2025 tuition rates · Phoenix market

Real rates from Phoenix-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.

$1,678

Median infant rate / mo · Phoenix market

$1,284

Median preschool rate / mo · Phoenix market

63%

Median occupancy (enrollment ÷ licensed capacity), schools reporting

Brand	Location	Infant / mo	Pre-K / mo	Licensed capacity
Tutor Time	Chandler (N McClintock Dr)	$1,710	$1,351	393
Tutor Time	Chandler (S Alma School Rd)	—	$1,324	223
Tutor Time	Gilbert (E Elliot Rd)	—	$1,186	167
Tutor Time	Queen Creek (S Power Rd)	$1,719	$1,377	249
Tutor Time	Peoria (W Deer Valley Rd)	$1,589	$1,208	246
Tutor Time	Goodyear (N Dysart Rd)	—	$1,242	274
Tutor Time	Surprise (W Bell Rd)	—	$1,294	289
Tutor Time	Cave Creek (E Lone Mountain Rd)	—	$1,164	357
Tutor Time	Glendale (W Bell Rd)	$1,381	$1,078	258
Tutor Time	Glendale (W Thunderbird Rd)	—	$1,073	356
Tutor Time	Phoenix (N 23rd Ave)	—	$1,277	357
Tutor Time	Phoenix (E Baseline Rd)	—	$1,182	301
Bright Horizons	Scottsdale (N 92nd St)	$1,819	$1,546	159
Bright Horizons	Mesa (E Baywood Ave)	$1,862	$1,650	140
La Petite Academy	Glendale (N 67th Ave)	$1,537	$1,169	176
La Petite Academy	Scottsdale (E Raintree Dr)	$1,949	$1,407	171
Kiddie Academy	Glendale (W Pinnacle Peak Rd)	$1,775	$1,472	156
Childtime	Chandler (N Pennington Dr)	$1,589	$1,290	—
Childtime	Phoenix (W Bell Rd)	$1,593	$1,295	—
Childtime	Mesa (N Horne)	$1,645	$1,169	—

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.

Cap rates & valuation context

What childcare properties trade at in Arizona.

Across our sold-comps database, Arizona childcare properties have typically traded at 6.8–7.4% cap rates, at a median of $353 per square foot, across 35 statewide sales. Where your property lands comes down to tenant credit, lease term, and the site itself.

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Source: Little Scholars sold-comps dataset — medians from 35 Arizona childcare sales (20 with reported cap rate), within 592 transactions across 41 states; compiled from public records, updated June 2026.

6.8–7.4%

Typical cap-rate range, AZ sales

7.0%

Median sold cap rate, AZ

$353

Median price per SF, AZ

AZ childcare sales in our dataset

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

Market activity

6 childcare properties currently listed for sale in Arizona.

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.

30⁺

Years in the industry

70⁺

Centers sold

18⁺

States nationwide

2,800⁺

Investors in our network

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FAQ

Questions from Phoenix owners.

How much does daycare tuition cost in Phoenix?

In our 2025 survey of national-chain schools in the Phoenix market, actual rates ran roughly $1,381–$1,949/mo for infants and $1,073–$1,650/mo for Pre-K, with medians of $1,678 and $1,284. Rates were received directly from each school and vary by program and location.

What cap rates do childcare properties sell at in Arizona?

In our sold-comps dataset of 35 Arizona childcare sales, properties have sold at a median cap rate of roughly 7.0%, typically ranging 6.8–7.4%, at a median of $353 per square foot. Individual deals vary with tenant credit, lease term, and location.

How much is my Phoenix 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 metro Phoenix?

Regional and national operators, 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 across 18+ states.

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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