Child Care Center Feasibility Study in North Dakota

North Dakota child care at a glance

North Dakota's child care record is brief: 28 loans approved between FY2017 and FY2026, adding up to $7.0 million. The state is 45 of 53 for the class by count, and child care is 7 of 39 among North Dakota's classes, which means a local lender will have seen the business even if few borrowers have used SBA for it. The location quotient of 0.92x puts the class marginally below its national weight. No ratio here departs far enough from the state or national picture to count as distinctive, so treat this page as context.

Small loans, a strong 504 presence

A median of $114,500 is only 0.25x the nationwide class median, with the central band of approvals runs from $58,575 to $316,750. Notice the program split: 20 loans came through 7(a) and 8 through SBA 504. For a class dominated by leased space in many states, that is a meaningful share of real estate financing, and it suggests that some North Dakota operators own their buildings. Franchising is absent at 0.00%. Cass County accounts for 12 loans; Burleigh has 4, Emmons and Stutsman 3 each, Grand Forks and Morton 2 each, and Stark and Ward 1 each.

Floors that cannot be printed

The cohorts that would feed a cancellation percentage and a charge-off percentage are too small here, so neither appears. Take that as a gap in the evidence and not as a perfect record, and treat any lender statement about outcomes in the state with the same care.

Tests for a project in North Dakota

Child care demand in a sparse state depends on the working households within a realistic commute of the site, which may mean one town rather than a county. A study should compare licensed capacity already serving that area, test the staffing a center needs under state ratios, and show what tuition a family can pay. Construction or purchase cost should be set beside a ticket that typically lands near $114,500, and a project that costs far more must show its other sources. Debt service coverage should survive a slow enrollment fill and the loss of an anchor employer. An owned building will be appraised on the cash flow a different operator could produce.

Centers share an industry code with in-home providers, so the record may include small family operations alongside commercial buildings.