NYC No Longer No. 1 — Why Parents May Be Celebrating This Childcare Turning Point

Bad news for parents: hourly babysitting rates nationwide jumped again last year, rising at a rate higher than inflation for the second year in a row.

New data on the nationwide spike, out Friday in Axios, finds the average pay for sitters up about 9.7% from 2021, that’s according to UrbanSitter. The caregiver-matching website found the national average stands around $22.68 for 2022, that’s up roughly two dollars from the previous year.

The $2 bump is reflected in major U.S. cities like San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles. Whereas outliers including Seattle and Austin had parents forking over more cash, $3 and $4 more by last year, respectively.

Most noticeable in the rate breakdown, however, might be the one city that experienced a dip in hourly rates.

Undoubtedly a shock to many, New York City was the only major metropolitan area to see babysitting rates dip between 2021 and 2022, according to UrbanSitter.

The Big Apple previously claimed to have the highest hourly rates for babysitters with an average of $23.45 in 2021. But after an unusual dip in the past year, the city places fifth behind San Francisco, Seattle, Austin and Los Angeles.

Where can parents find some of the cheapest rates? Well that would be in Springfield, Missouri.