Childcare in Texas, by the numbers.
Texas has 9,600 licensed center programs with 1,130,177 licensed spots, and 3,320 home daycares.
Source: Search Texas Child Care, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation. Read November 3, 2026.
9,600
Licensed center programs
9,601 center licenses
1,130,177
Licensed spots in centers
About 118 per program
3,320
Home daycares
38,795 spots
666
New centers
Still on a first permit
A new center is one still on its initial permit, the first permit Texas gives a center.
Spots for young children, by county
Texas has 51 licensed spots for every 100 children under 5. Darker counties have more.
- Under 25
- 25 to 39
- 40 to 54
- 55 to 69
- 70 or more
- No licensed care
See every county as a list
| County | Spots per 100 children under 5 | Children under 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 53 | 2,837 |
| Andrews County | 49 | 1,411 |
| Angelina County | 73 | 5,515 |
| Aransas County | 51 | 1,094 |
| Archer County | 35 | 475 |
| Armstrong County | 52 | 99 |
| Atascosa County | 29 | 3,545 |
| Austin County | 51 | 2,012 |
| Bailey County | 23 | 690 |
| Bandera County | 35 | 927 |
| Bastrop County | 25 | 8,000 |
| Baylor County | 57 | 202 |
| Bee County | 33 | 1,463 |
| Bell County | 44 | 29,729 |
| Bexar County | 47 | 134,091 |
| Blanco County | 39 | 596 |
| Borden County | 68 | 19 |
| Bosque County | 22 | 892 |
| Bowie County | 67 | 5,594 |
| Brazoria County | 77 | 25,114 |
| Brazos County | 51 | 13,665 |
| Brewster County | 44 | 397 |
| Briscoe County | 0 | 64 |
| Brooks County | 57 | 417 |
| Brown County | 42 | 2,050 |
| Burleson County | 39 | 1,161 |
| Burnet County | 39 | 3,137 |
| Caldwell County | 20 | 3,794 |
| Calhoun County | 62 | 1,106 |
| Callahan County | 38 | 679 |
| Cameron County | 46 | 29,453 |
| Camp County | 24 | 984 |
| Carson County | 18 | 285 |
| Cass County | 29 | 1,547 |
| Castro County | 33 | 484 |
| Chambers County | 58 | 3,683 |
| Cherokee County | 27 | 3,571 |
| Childress County | 38 | 326 |
| Clay County | 31 | 550 |
| Cochran County | 0 | 230 |
| Coke County | 0 | 170 |
| Coleman County | 34 | 389 |
| Collin County | 87 | 74,067 |
| Collingsworth County | 48 | 124 |
| Colorado County | 71 | 1,259 |
| Comal County | 43 | 10,840 |
| Comanche County | 12 | 802 |
| Concho County | 81 | 80 |
| Cooke County | 51 | 2,543 |
| Coryell County | 35 | 5,134 |
| Cottle County | 150 | 48 |
| Crane County | 33 | 360 |
| Crockett County | 63 | 182 |
| Crosby County | 4 | 274 |
| Culberson County | 42 | 139 |
| Dallam County | 9 | 862 |
| Dallas County | 44 | 179,719 |
| Dawson County | 31 | 812 |
| Deaf Smith County | 25 | 1,610 |
| Delta County | 12 | 347 |
| Denton County | 61 | 60,803 |
| DeWitt County | 53 | 1,099 |
| Dickens County | 0 | 83 |
| Dimmit County | 63 | 588 |
| Donley County | 18 | 137 |
| Duval County | 49 | 579 |
| Eastland County | 26 | 1,006 |
| Ector County | 31 | 15,039 |
| Edwards County | 80 | 86 |
| El Paso County | 41 | 54,233 |
| Ellis County | 38 | 15,645 |
| Erath County | 35 | 2,184 |
| Falls County | 20 | 957 |
| Fannin County | 33 | 1,953 |
| Fayette County | 43 | 1,365 |
| Fisher County | 11 | 158 |
| Floyd County | 67 | 287 |
| Foard County | 208 | 40 |
| Fort Bend County | 84 | 54,009 |
| Franklin County | 17 | 578 |
| Freestone County | 22 | 1,095 |
| Frio County | 38 | 1,348 |
| Gaines County | 21 | 2,645 |
| Galveston County | 70 | 20,359 |
| Garza County | 49 | 224 |
| Gillespie County | 41 | 1,444 |
| Glasscock County | 48 | 77 |
| Goliad County | 29 | 373 |
| Gonzales County | 18 | 1,453 |
| Gray County | 50 | 1,162 |
| Grayson County | 44 | 9,596 |
| Gregg County | 65 | 8,225 |
| Grimes County | 40 | 2,002 |
| Guadalupe County | 43 | 11,354 |
| Hale County | 38 | 1,963 |
| Hall County | 8 | 143 |
| Hamilton County | 41 | 438 |
| Hansford County | 21 | 342 |
| Hardeman County | 93 | 194 |
| Hardin County | 58 | 3,435 |
| Harris County | 53 | 335,005 |
| Harrison County | 40 | 3,994 |
| Hartley County | 46 | 324 |
| Haskell County | 48 | 265 |
| Hays County | 45 | 17,838 |
| Hemphill County | 62 | 158 |
| Henderson County | 49 | 5,019 |
| Hidalgo County | 48 | 69,450 |
| Hill County | 16 | 2,385 |
| Hockley County | 22 | 1,435 |
| Hood County | 48 | 3,461 |
| Hopkins County | 29 | 2,348 |
| Houston County | 44 | 1,131 |
| Howard County | 44 | 1,845 |
| Hudspeth County | 43 | 120 |
| Hunt County | 34 | 8,395 |
| Hutchinson County | 45 | 1,059 |
| Irion County | 0 | 77 |
| Jack County | 35 | 437 |
| Jackson County | 44 | 1,053 |
| Jasper County | 49 | 1,966 |
| Jeff Davis County | 0 | 59 |
| Jefferson County | 55 | 16,429 |
| Jim Hogg County | 84 | 248 |
| Jim Wells County | 37 | 2,602 |
| Johnson County | 31 | 13,809 |
| Jones County | 14 | 850 |
| Karnes County | 32 | 714 |
| Kaufman County | 38 | 16,288 |
| Kendall County | 61 | 2,480 |
| Kenedy County | 0 | 12 |
| Kent County | 550 | 14 |
| Kerr County | 43 | 2,412 |
| Kimble County | 44 | 215 |
| King County | 0 | 13 |
| Kinney County | 14 | 163 |
| Kleberg County | 49 | 1,988 |
| Knox County | 49 | 177 |
| La Salle County | 23 | 313 |
| Lamar County | 45 | 3,327 |
| Lamb County | 13 | 801 |
| Lampasas County | 21 | 1,173 |
| Lavaca County | 52 | 1,176 |
| Lee County | 41 | 1,078 |
| Leon County | 28 | 1,008 |
| Liberty County | 18 | 9,331 |
| Limestone County | 43 | 1,307 |
| Lipscomb County | 7 | 182 |
| Live Oak County | 18 | 527 |
| Llano County | 23 | 1,013 |
| Loving County | 0 | 5 |
| Lubbock County | 56 | 20,292 |
| Lynn County | 17 | 435 |
| Madison County | 30 | 874 |
| Marion County | 37 | 475 |
| Martin County | 28 | 393 |
| Mason County | 68 | 164 |
| Matagorda County | 39 | 2,499 |
| Maverick County | 40 | 4,919 |
| McCulloch County | 20 | 398 |
| McLennan County | 52 | 16,766 |
| McMullen County | 91 | 34 |
| Medina County | 45 | 3,093 |
| Menard County | 28 | 101 |
| Midland County | 46 | 15,597 |
| Milam County | 34 | 1,566 |
| Mills County | 16 | 202 |
| Mitchell County | 52 | 361 |
| Montague County | 24 | 1,115 |
| Montgomery County | 52 | 49,142 |
| Moore County | 21 | 1,843 |
| Morris County | 35 | 670 |
| Motley County | 0 | 62 |
| Nacogdoches County | 48 | 3,969 |
| Navarro County | 38 | 3,719 |
| Newton County | 18 | 597 |
| Nolan County | 49 | 879 |
| Nueces County | 41 | 20,903 |
| Ochiltree County | 25 | 629 |
| Oldham County | 76 | 83 |
| Orange County | 68 | 5,330 |
| Palo Pinto County | 32 | 1,899 |
| Panola County | 50 | 1,304 |
| Parker County | 46 | 10,788 |
| Parmer County | 11 | 715 |
| Pecos County | 36 | 908 |
| Polk County | 46 | 2,669 |
| Potter County | 51 | 7,551 |
| Presidio County | 50 | 316 |
| Rains County | 9 | 708 |
| Randall County | 51 | 9,132 |
| Reagan County | 0 | 193 |
| Real County | 32 | 120 |
| Red River County | 2 | 648 |
| Reeves County | 35 | 882 |
| Refugio County | 13 | 352 |
| Roberts County | 0 | 42 |
| Robertson County | 35 | 1,088 |
| Rockwall County | 69 | 8,290 |
| Runnels County | 34 | 557 |
| Rusk County | 24 | 2,853 |
| Sabine County | 56 | 514 |
| San Augustine County | 38 | 395 |
| San Jacinto County | 23 | 1,624 |
| San Patricio County | 29 | 4,456 |
| San Saba County | 40 | 263 |
| Schleicher County | 30 | 106 |
| Scurry County | 42 | 988 |
| Shackelford County | 31 | 166 |
| Shelby County | 16 | 1,724 |
| Sherman County | 28 | 225 |
| Smith County | 49 | 15,560 |
| Somervell County | 57 | 523 |
| Starr County | 39 | 5,459 |
| Stephens County | 74 | 439 |
| Sterling County | 43 | 102 |
| Stonewall County | 70 | 63 |
| Sutton County | 33 | 165 |
| Swisher County | 34 | 352 |
| Tarrant County | 50 | 139,969 |
| Taylor County | 47 | 9,721 |
| Terrell County | 0 | 22 |
| Terry County | 22 | 915 |
| Throckmorton County | 25 | 100 |
| Titus County | 50 | 2,096 |
| Tom Green County | 62 | 7,238 |
| Travis County | 54 | 79,208 |
| Trinity County | 30 | 696 |
| Tyler County | 27 | 891 |
| Upshur County | 30 | 2,581 |
| Upton County | 23 | 171 |
| Uvalde County | 46 | 1,967 |
| Val Verde County | 31 | 3,618 |
| Van Zandt County | 45 | 3,543 |
| Victoria County | 50 | 5,906 |
| Walker County | 59 | 3,312 |
| Waller County | 33 | 4,665 |
| Ward County | 19 | 854 |
| Washington County | 81 | 1,948 |
| Webb County | 35 | 21,882 |
| Wharton County | 55 | 2,761 |
| Wheeler County | 32 | 250 |
| Wichita County | 55 | 7,589 |
| Wilbarger County | 61 | 789 |
| Willacy County | 44 | 1,131 |
| Williamson County | 77 | 45,751 |
| Wilson County | 49 | 2,920 |
| Winkler County | 18 | 586 |
| Wise County | 23 | 4,885 |
| Wood County | 36 | 2,230 |
| Yoakum County | 10 | 677 |
| Young County | 66 | 1,091 |
| Zapata County | 50 | 866 |
| Zavala County | 54 | 704 |
The largest counties in Texas
By licensed center programs.
- Harris County 1,475 licensed center programs 53 spots per 100 children under 5
- Dallas County 721 licensed center programs 44 spots per 100 children under 5
- Tarrant County 623 licensed center programs 50 spots per 100 children under 5
- Bexar County 543 licensed center programs 47 spots per 100 children under 5
- Travis County 507 licensed center programs 54 spots per 100 children under 5
- Collin County 442 licensed center programs 87 spots per 100 children under 5
- Hidalgo County 421 licensed center programs 48 spots per 100 children under 5
- Fort Bend County 323 licensed center programs 84 spots per 100 children under 5
- Williamson County 304 licensed center programs 77 spots per 100 children under 5
- Denton County 303 licensed center programs 61 spots per 100 children under 5
- El Paso County 272 licensed center programs 41 spots per 100 children under 5
- Cameron County 185 licensed center programs 46 spots per 100 children under 5
Every county in Texas
Every county, with its licensed center programs. Counties with fewer than 5 center programs have no page of their own.
- Anderson12
- Andrews5
- Angelina36
- Aransas5
- Archer5
- Armstrong1
- Atascosa14
- Austin12
- Bailey3
- Bandera3
- Bastrop35
- Baylor3
- Bee6
- Bell158
- Bexar543
- Blanco4
- Borden1
- Bosque3
- Bowie37
- Brazoria159
- Brazos76
- Brewster3
- Briscoe0
- Brooks5
- Brown10
- Burleson6
- Burnet16
- Caldwell12
- Calhoun11
- Callahan5
- Cameron185
- Camp4
- Carson1
- Cass5
- Castro3
- Chambers19
- Cherokee9
- Childress3
- Clay2
- Cochran0
- Coke0
- Coleman2
- Collin442
- Collingsworth1
- Colorado10
- Comal44
- Comanche2
- Concho1
- Cooke11
- Coryell27
- Cottle1
- Crane2
- Crockett3
- Crosby0
- Culberson1
- Dallam1
- Dallas721
- Dawson2
- Deaf Smith5
- Delta1
- Denton303
- DeWitt7
- Dickens0
- Dimmit5
- Donley0
- Duval6
- Eastland4
- Ector48
- Edwards1
- El Paso272
- Ellis75
- Erath10
- Falls4
- Fannin6
- Fayette10
- Fisher1
- Floyd2
- Foard1
- Fort Bend323
- Franklin1
- Freestone5
- Frio7
- Gaines5
- Galveston109
- Garza3
- Gillespie7
- Glasscock1
- Goliad2
- Gonzales4
- Gray8
- Grayson40
- Gregg54
- Grimes13
- Guadalupe49
- Hale7
- Hall1
- Hamilton3
- Hansford2
- Hardeman2
- Hardin18
- Harris1,475
- Harrison17
- Hartley1
- Haskell1
- Hays94
- Hemphill1
- Henderson22
- Hidalgo421
- Hill6
- Hockley5
- Hood18
- Hopkins6
- Houston4
- Howard8
- Hudspeth2
- Hunt24
- Hutchinson4
- Irion0
- Jack3
- Jackson7
- Jasper11
- Jeff Davis0
- Jefferson78
- Jim Hogg3
- Jim Wells17
- Johnson38
- Jones2
- Karnes6
- Kaufman43
- Kendall18
- Kenedy0
- Kent1
- Kerr13
- Kimble1
- King0
- Kinney1
- Kleberg14
- Knox2
- La Salle1
- Lamar14
- Lamb2
- Lampasas3
- Lavaca9
- Lee6
- Leon5
- Liberty17
- Limestone7
- Lipscomb0
- Live Oak2
- Llano6
- Loving0
- Lubbock114
- Lynn2
- Madison5
- Marion2
- Martin2
- Mason2
- Matagorda13
- Maverick18
- McCulloch1
- McLennan97
- McMullen1
- Medina14
- Menard1
- Midland79
- Milam9
- Mills1
- Mitchell2
- Montague5
- Montgomery182
- Moore7
- Morris3
- Motley0
- Nacogdoches14
- Navarro18
- Newton2
- Nolan6
- Nueces126
- Ochiltree1
- Oldham1
- Orange31
- Palo Pinto6
- Panola6
- Parker52
- Parmer2
- Pecos5
- Polk9
- Potter34
- Presidio1
- Rains1
- Randall33
- Reagan0
- Real1
- Red River0
- Reeves2
- Refugio1
- Roberts0
- Robertson4
- Rockwall41
- Runnels4
- Rusk10
- Sabine3
- San Augustine3
- San Jacinto6
- San Patricio21
- San Saba3
- Schleicher1
- Scurry4
- Shackelford1
- Shelby3
- Sherman1
- Smith64
- Somervell3
- Starr27
- Stephens2
- Sterling1
- Stonewall1
- Sutton1
- Swisher1
- Tarrant623
- Taylor47
- Terrell0
- Terry3
- Throckmorton1
- Titus7
- Tom Green43
- Travis507
- Trinity3
- Tyler3
- Upshur8
- Upton2
- Uvalde11
- Val Verde12
- Van Zandt13
- Victoria37
- Walker17
- Waller20
- Ward2
- Washington12
- Webb105
- Wharton16
- Wheeler1
- Wichita42
- Wilbarger7
- Willacy7
- Williamson304
- Wilson17
- Winkler1
- Wise20
- Wood11
- Yoakum2
- Young10
- Zapata7
- Zavala7
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Getting licensed in Texas
Texas licenses child care centers and family child care homes separately. See the ratios, trainings and checklist the state asks for in our Texas licensing guide.
Plan your program
- Daycare business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Ratio calculator
Staff needed for each age group, by state.
Questions, answered
How many licensed childcare centers are in Texas?
9,600 center programs, holding 9,601 center licenses and 1,130,177 licensed spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many home daycares are in Texas?
3,320 home daycares, with 38,795 spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many new childcare centers are in Texas?
666 centers are still on their first permit, as of November 3, 2026.
How many licensed childcare spots are there per child in Texas?
51 licensed spots for every 100 children under 5. The child count is the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025.
Where can I check a childcare program's license in Texas?
On Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation's public facility search. Search by the program's name, address or license number.
About these numbers
Every license count here comes from the state's license file, read November 3, 2026.
A center program is the licensed centers one operator runs at one address. School-age programs count as centers.
A new center is one still on its initial permit, the first permit Texas gives a center.
Home daycares are licensed and registered child care homes. Listed family homes are not counted.
Children under 5 are the Census Bureau's estimates for July 1, 2025.
Spots for young children leave out school-age licenses and add home daycare spots. Some serve older children.
The state's file lists only open operations, so this page shows no closings.
This page is a summary of public records. It is not legal advice, and licenses change every week.
To check one program, search the state's own lookup.
Questions about childcare in Texas?
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