Market rankings · Virginia
Child care centers and preschools in Virginia
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Virginia, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,978
- 279 chain locations (14%)
- Official establishments
- 1,977
- +0.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.9
- 2% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 2% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #14 of 51
- Market score 62 · Upper middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Virginia by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 1,978 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Virginia as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 14% of them, against 12% across the U.S. That is 5.9 per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in Virginia spend about $2B a year on child care and other personal services, or $602 per household, 4% above the U.S. average. Spread across 1,978 child care centers and preschools, that is $1M per center, 2% above the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 1,977 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Virginia in 2023, up 0.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,702 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 107 SBA-backed loans worth $121.7M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Virginia.
Among the 50 states and DC, Virginia ranks #14 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 62 (upper middle). Of the 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Winchester metro area scores highest (74). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Lake of the Woods area scores highest (90).
Every market in Virginia for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Virginia, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Winchester, VA-WV | 74 | 29 | 5.2 | $986K | +6.5% | #38 of 387 |
| 2Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 66 | 20 | 3.8 | $1M | +3.2% | #79 of 387 |
| 3Richmond, VA | 62 | 300 | 5.6 | $973K | +5.5% | #100 of 387 |
| 4Lynchburg, VA | 61 | 36 | 3.5 | $1.2M | +2.9% | #107 of 387 |
| 5Charlottesville, VA | 61 | 52 | 5.7 | $1M | +3.1% | #110 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 58 | 1,804 | 7.6 | $1M | +3.3% | #138 of 387 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 58 | 46 | 3.5 | $1M | +2.3% | #139 of 387 |
| 6Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 57 | 24 | 3.4 | $1.3M | −0.1% | #143 of 387 |
| 7Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 52 | 387 | 5.5 | $925K | +0.9% | #184 of 387 |
| 8Roanoke, VA | 51 | 57 | 4.3 | $986K | +0.4% | #187 of 387 |
| 9Harrisonburg, VA | 50 | 28 | 5.6 | $786K | +3.5% | #196 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lake of the Woods, VA | 90 | 7 | 4.7 | $1.2M | +10.1% | #3 of 454 |
| 2Martinsville, VA | 58 | 6 | 2.2 | $1.4M | −1.9% | #164 of 454 |
| 3Danville, VA | 46 | 19 | 4.3 | $743K | −1.7% | #266 of 454 |
| Bluefield, WV-VA | 37 | 20 | 4.9 | $639K | −3.8% | #336 of 454 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frederick County, VA | 93 | 12 | 3.4 | $1.7M | +8.8% | #4 of 1,611 |
| 2Culpeper County, VA | 91 | 7 | 3.7 | $1.5M | +9.3% | #12 of 1,611 |
| 3Louisa County, VA | 87 | 5 | 3.2 | $1.6M | +13.6% | #25 of 1,611 |
| 4Suffolk city, VA | 86 | 15 | 4.0 | $1.4M | +10.4% | #34 of 1,611 |
| 5Bedford County, VA | 85 | 5 | 1.5 | $3.1M | +4.4% | #36 of 1,611 |
| 6Orange County, VA | 85 | 7 | 4.7 | $1.2M | +10.1% | #42 of 1,611 |
| 7Fauquier County, VA | 82 | 15 | 5.6 | $1.4M | +4.8% | #64 of 1,611 |
| 8James City County, VA | 78 | 15 | 4.7 | $1.4M | +6.2% | #114 of 1,611 |
| 9Richmond city, VA | 78 | 41 | 3.9 | $1.1M | +4.6% | #120 of 1,611 |
| 10Franklin County, VA | 77 | 6 | 2.6 | $1.6M | +1.9% | #127 of 1,611 |
| 11Chesterfield County, VA | 77 | 70 | 5.0 | $1.2M | +8.7% | #132 of 1,611 |
| 12Stafford County, VA | 76 | 37 | 7.1 | $1.2M | +8.3% | #146 of 1,611 |
| 13Augusta County, VA | 75 | 10 | 3.2 | $1.3M | +1.8% | #157 of 1,611 |
| 14York County, VA | 74 | 12 | 4.4 | $1.5M | +1.6% | #170 of 1,611 |
| 15Isle of Wight County, VA | 73 | 8 | 5.1 | $1.1M | +6.7% | #200 of 1,611 |
| 16Powhatan County, VA | 73 | 7 | 6.2 | $1M | +7.0% | #203 of 1,611 |
| 17Prince William County, VA | 72 | 101 | 6.4 | $1.2M | +4.2% | #214 of 1,611 |
| 18Arlington County, VA | 71 | 64 | 5.7 | $1.5M | +2.1% | #228 of 1,611 |
| 19New Kent County, VA | 71 | 6 | 6.5 | $1M | +21.2% | #239 of 1,611 |
| 20Roanoke County, VA | 70 | 15 | 3.8 | $1.3M | +0.2% | #254 of 1,611 |
| 21King George County, VA | 70 | 7 | 6.9 | $969K | +10.5% | #265 of 1,611 |
| 22Chesapeake city, VA | 68 | 49 | 5.2 | $1.1M | +2.3% | #314 of 1,611 |
| 23Spotsylvania County, VA | 66 | 30 | 5.7 | $1.1M | +10.5% | #362 of 1,611 |
| 24Albemarle County, VA | 66 | 30 | 6.5 | $1M | +5.1% | #369 of 1,611 |
| 25Clarke County, VA | 65 | 5 | 8.5 | $786K | +5.4% | #409 of 1,611 |
Show all 133 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Gloucester County, VA | 65 | 10 | 6.5 | $741K | +3.6% | #410 of 1,611 |
| 27Fluvanna County, VA | 65 | 8 | 7.7 | $717K | +6.2% | #411 of 1,611 |
| 28Hanover County, VA | 64 | 28 | 6.6 | $1M | +5.6% | #427 of 1,611 |
| 29Rockingham County, VA | 64 | 19 | 5.8 | $798K | +6.6% | #439 of 1,611 |
| 30Fredericksburg city, VA | 64 | 11 | 9.4 | $608K | +8.6% | #442 of 1,611 |
| 31Montgomery County, VA | 61 | 12 | 3.2 | $1.5M | −1.2% | #498 of 1,611 |
| 32Prince George County, VA | 61 | 5 | 3.9 | $1.3M | +2.0% | #502 of 1,611 |
| 33Washington County, VA | 60 | 7 | 3.2 | $1.2M | 0.0% | #533 of 1,611 |
| 34Fairfax city, VA | 60 | 8 | 8.7 | $955K | +10.8% | #545 of 1,611 |
| 35Alexandria city, VA | 59 | 53 | 7.0 | $1.1M | +1.0% | #570 of 1,611 |
| 36Loudoun County, VA | 58 | 164 | 11.5 | $904K | +6.4% | #610 of 1,611 |
| 37Fairfax County, VA | 56 | 375 | 9.1 | $1M | +1.7% | #656 of 1,611 |
| 38Virginia Beach city, VA | 53 | 105 | 5.8 | $963K | −1.3% | #741 of 1,611 |
| 39Waynesboro city, VA | 53 | 6 | 6.1 | $586K | +7.5% | #760 of 1,611 |
| 40Shenandoah County, VA | 52 | 11 | 6.1 | $671K | +3.6% | #781 of 1,611 |
| 41Salem city, VA | 50 | 5 | 4.9 | $876K | +1.7% | #822 of 1,611 |
| 42Campbell County, VA | 49 | 6 | 2.7 | $1.4M | +0.1% | #835 of 1,611 |
| 43Charlottesville city, VA | 47 | 10 | 5.0 | $1.1M | −4.4% | #886 of 1,611 |
| 44Henrico County, VA | 46 | 105 | 7.6 | $744K | +2.3% | #928 of 1,611 |
| 45Hampton city, VA | 46 | 33 | 5.7 | $716K | 0.0% | #934 of 1,611 |
| 46Manassas city, VA | 43 | 15 | 10.6 | $645K | +3.9% | #1,017 of 1,611 |
| 47Norfolk city, VA | 41 | 46 | 4.8 | $866K | −2.9% | #1,061 of 1,611 |
| 48Harrisonburg city, VA | 40 | 9 | 5.2 | $761K | −1.7% | #1,097 of 1,611 |
| 49Tazewell County, VA | 40 | 7 | 4.3 | $720K | −4.4% | #1,103 of 1,611 |
| 50Falls Church city, VA | 40 | 10 | 15.9 | $571K | +3.3% | #1,117 of 1,611 |
| 51Colonial Heights city, VA | 40 | 6 | 8.0 | $545K | +3.2% | #1,118 of 1,611 |
| 52Lynchburg city, VA | 38 | 21 | 7.3 | $500K | +3.0% | #1,155 of 1,611 |
| 53Newport News city, VA | 36 | 50 | 6.6 | $604K | −1.5% | #1,193 of 1,611 |
| 54Wythe County, VA | 35 | 6 | 4.8 | $698K | −1.2% | #1,211 of 1,611 |
| 55Manassas Park city, VA | 34 | 6 | 11.6 | $500K | −3.5% | #1,255 of 1,611 |
| 56Danville city, VA | 30 | 15 | 7.9 | $393K | −2.2% | #1,343 of 1,611 |
| 57Hopewell city, VA | 28 | 5 | 5.4 | $640K | +1.1% | #1,373 of 1,611 |
| 58Roanoke city, VA | 24 | 27 | 6.2 | $576K | −0.8% | #1,427 of 1,611 |
| 59Petersburg city, VA | 24 | 14 | 9.2 | $320K | +1.0% | #1,436 of 1,611 |
| 60Winchester city, VA | 23 | 15 | 13.1 | $313K | +1.0% | #1,447 of 1,611 |
| 61Portsmouth city, VA | 22 | 33 | 8.2 | $443K | −1.2% | #1,458 of 1,611 |
| Pittsylvania County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 1.6 | $2.1M | −1.5% | |
| Henry County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 1.0 | $3.2M | −3.1% | |
| Warren County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 2.6 | $2M | +4.8% | |
| Wise County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 1.4 | $2M | −3.5% | |
| Botetourt County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 2.3 | $2.1M | +1.5% | |
| Pulaski County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 2.1 | $1.8M | −0.6% | |
| Halifax County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 0.7 | $4.5M | −1.4% | |
| Accomack County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $1.3M | +1.4% | |
| Caroline County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 2.5 | $2M | +11.3% | |
| Amherst County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 2.4 | $1.6M | +2.1% | |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 2.9 | $1.3M | +1.5% | |
| Smyth County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 2.4 | $1.3M | −3.0% | |
| Carroll County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 0.8 | $4M | +0.5% | |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 3.8 | $1.2M | +3.6% | |
| Goochland County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $7.7M | +17.4% | |
| Staunton city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 3.5 | $1M | +3.8% | |
| Russell County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 3.7 | $847K | −1.7% | |
| Page County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 2.0 | $1.7M | +0.3% | |
| Rockbridge County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.0 | $3.9M | 0.0% | |
| Prince Edward County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $1.5M | +2.3% | |
| Lee County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 3.5 | $831K | −2.1% | |
| Scott County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $942K | −1.8% | |
| Greene County, VA | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $1.1M | +6.6% | |
| Buchanan County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $2M | −8.7% | |
| Westmoreland County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $1.6M | +6.5% | |
| King William County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $1.2M | +9.5% | |
| Southampton County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.9% | |
| Patrick County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $2.7M | −0.9% | |
| Buckingham County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 3.2 | $1.1M | +1.9% | |
| Bristol city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 5.5 | $594K | −5.2% | |
| Radford city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 7.2 | $526K | +7.0% | |
| Appomattox County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $2.5M | +6.3% | |
| Giles County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $1.2M | −1.3% | |
| Brunswick County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 3.1 | $1.1M | −0.6% | |
| Williamsburg city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $2.5M | +2.6% | |
| Nottoway County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $1.9M | +1.0% | |
| Floyd County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 4.5 | $819K | +2.1% | |
| Grayson County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.3% | |
| Alleghany County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.2% | |
| Nelson County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.2% | |
| Madison County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.7% | |
| Dickenson County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $1.6M | −6.0% | |
| Martinsville city, VA | Not scored | 4 | 7.0 | $476K | +2.8% | |
| Amelia County, VA | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $666K | +2.7% | |
| Poquoson city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $3.2M | +6.6% | |
| Northumberland County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.1% | |
| Northampton County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $2.5M | −2.8% | |
| Lunenburg County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.9% | |
| Charlotte County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $1.6M | −1.2% | |
| Greensville County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.8% | |
| Lancaster County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $2.5M | +0.9% | |
| Middlesex County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $2M | +2.2% | |
| Sussex County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 5.3 | $689K | −0.4% | |
| Essex County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $1.6M | +0.5% | |
| Cumberland County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.9% | |
| Richmond County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 6.3 | $575K | +4.2% | |
| Mathews County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $1.8M | +0.1% | |
| Franklin city, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.1% | |
| Lexington city, VA | Not scored | 6 | 27.4 | $159K | +6.2% | |
| Rappahannock County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.4 | $1.8M | +1.6% | |
| Galax city, VA | Not scored | 2 | 7.2 | $500K | −0.7% | |
| King and Queen County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.4% | |
| Charles City County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.8% | |
| Buena Vista city, VA | Not scored | 2 | 7.8 | $360K | +0.9% | |
| Surry County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.5 | $1.3M | +0.8% | |
| Bland County, VA | Not scored | 2 | 8.4 | $420K | −1.7% | |
| Covington city, VA | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $559K | −1.2% | |
| Emporia city, VA | Not scored | 3 | 13.9 | $239K | −4.4% | |
| Craig County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 5.8 | $712K | −1.6% | |
| Bath County, VA | Not scored | 1 | 5.5 | $719K | −2.6% | |
| Norton city, VA | Not scored | 2 | 12.5 | $233K | −5.5% | |
| Highland County, VA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.4% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Virginia?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,978 child care centers and preschools in Virginia. 279 of them (14%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 1,977 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 0.4% from 2019. Official counts also show 12,652 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Virginia spend on child care and other personal services?
About $2B a year, or $602 per household. That is 4% above the U.S. average (an index of 104, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,978 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $1M per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,365,732 households in Virginia and national spending patterns by income.
How does Virginia compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Virginia has 5.9 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $1M, 2% above the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Virginia would have about 2,022, against 1,978 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,702 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Virginia has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 11 scored metro areas in or partly in Virginia, the Winchester metro area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Virginia, the Lake of the Woods area scores highest, at 90 (very high). Among 61 scored counties in Virginia, Frederick County scores highest, at 93 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Virginia scores 62 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #14 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Virginia. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Virginia
Screening a site or an acquisition in Virginia?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.