What to Know
- Bad news for parents: Hourly child care rates across the country rose again last year, rising at a rate above inflation for the second year in a row.
- New data on the nationwide increase, published Friday in Axios, shows that the median salary for caregivers has risen about 9.7% since 2021, according to UrbanSitter.
- However, New York City was the only major metropolitan area to see child care rates drop between 2021 and 2022, according to UrbanSitter.
NEW YORK — Bad news for parents: Hourly child care rates across the country rose again last year, rising at a rate above inflation for the second year in a row.
New data on the nationwide increase, published Friday in Axios, shows that the median salary for caregivers has risen about 9.7% since 2021, according to UrbanSitter. The Caregiver Search website found the national average to be around $22.68 an hour by 2022, about $2 more than the previous year.
The $2 increase is reflected in major US cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. While outliers, including Seattle and Austin, had parents spending more cash, $3 and $4 more last year, respectively.
Most notable in the rate breakdown, however, might be the city that saw a drop in hourly rates.
Undoubtedly a surprise to many, New York City was the only major metropolitan area to see child care rates drop between 2021 and 2022, according to UrbanSitter.
The Big Apple previously claimed to have the highest hourly rates for nannies averaging $23.45 in 2021. But after an unusual drop in the past year, the city ranks fifth behind San Francisco, Seattle, Austin and Los Angels.
Where can parents find some of the cheapest rates? Well, that would be in Springfield, Missouri.
