Child day care / Tennessee
How many child day care services are in Tennessee?
The Census Bureau counted 1,242 child day care services with paid employees in Tennessee in 2023. That is 1.9% fewer than in 2017.
TENNESSEE · 2023
The count
1,242
child day care services with paid employees
- Employees
- 16,838
- Average per site
- 13.6
- Change since 2017
- −1.9%
- State rank
- 21 of 51
What the number means
Tennessee had 1,242 child day care services in 2023, ranking number 21 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Together they employed 16,838 people and paid $420 million in annual payroll, an average of 13.6 employees per site.
These businesses make up 0.83% of every employer establishment in Tennessee, below the 0.98% national share. A site count is not the same as the number of companies: a chain with 40 locations counts 40 times.
28% of child day care services in Tennessee have fewer than 5 employees, against 36% across the U.S.
Tennessee holds 1.5% of the nation's child day care services and 1.8% of all U.S. employer establishments, so, measured against the state's overall size, the trade is under-represented. The most common size class is under 5 employees (348 sites). Average payroll per employee is $24,956, against $29,695 for the U.S. trade.
Size of the businesses
| Employees per site | Share | Sites | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 348 | 28.1% | |
| 5 to 9 | 296 | 23.9% | |
| 10 to 19 | 342 | 27.6% | |
| 20 to 49 | 239 | 19.3% | |
| 50 to 99 | 12 | 1.0% | |
| 100 to 249 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| 250 to 499 | 0 | 0.0% |
Count since 2017
Index: 2017 = 100. Employer establishments only. 2017 count 1,266; 2019 count 1,226; 2022 count 1,263; 2023 count 1,242. Employment +4.2% since 2017.
Biggest other trades in Tennessee
| Trade | Sites | Employees | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 4,962 | 121,246 | +7.6% |
| Landscaping services | 1,991 | 15,585 | +21.9% |
| Plumbing and HVAC contractors | 1,899 | 25,248 | +20.3% |
| Coffee shops and snack bars | 1,511 | 17,894 | +79.9% |
| General auto repair | 1,332 | 6,427 | +9.3% |
| Janitorial services | 1,182 | 35,239 | +8.0% |
| Beauty salons | 1,062 | 6,806 | −2.3% |
| Fitness centers | 786 | 12,702 | +27.0% |
Child day care in nearby ranks
| State | Sites | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 1,473 | 18 |
| Missouri | 1,463 | 19 |
| Indiana | 1,435 | 20 |
| Colorado | 1,239 | 22 |
| Oklahoma | 1,055 | 23 |
| South Carolina | 1,042 | 24 |
All states for child day care services · Every trade in Tennessee
Questions
How many child day care services are in Tennessee?
The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 1,242 child day care services with paid employees in Tennessee in 2023. That ranks Tennessee number 21 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Is the number of child day care services in Tennessee growing?
Between 2017 and 2023 the count shrank (1.9%), from 1,266 to 1,242. Across the United States the count changed by +6.1% over the same period. These years include the 2020 pandemic.
Does this count include self-employed owners with no staff?
No. County Business Patterns covers establishments with at least one paid employee. A sole proprietor with no employees is counted in a separate Census series called Nonemployer Statistics, which this site does not use yet, so the real number of people working in this trade is higher than the figure shown.
Read this before using the number
These counts describe how many businesses already exist. They say nothing about demand, profit, competition near you or how much any owner earns, and we make no estimate of income. Check local licensing, costs and rules before acting on any figure here. See the disclaimer.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (2023; change measured against 2017, 2019 and 2022). Establishments with paid employees only; employment and payroll carry Census noise infusion. Retrieved November 2, 2026. Method and sources.