Buying a home already comes with plenty to consider, like price and location, but if you have children or plan to start a family, childcare should also be part of the equation.
Some parents pay upward of $45,000 a year in childcare, and while a lot of that has to do with the quality of childcare, a big part of the price also depends on where you’re located.
Redfin, in partnership with childcare marketplace and data platform Winnie, calculated the share of income spent on childcare costs combined with housing costs across the 100 most populous metros.
Across the country, families spend 52% of their annual income on housing and childcare combined. In some cities on the list, that number is above 90%.
It may not be surprising that more expensive regions of the country charge higher childcare costs; however, in areas where families are earning more, childcare costs remain taxing. In a city like San Jose, California, where the median household income is $176,401 — more than double the national median of $83,730 in 2024 — the share of income spent on childcare and housing is 83.1%.
“A high-paying job in San Francisco or Los Angeles can get wiped out fast once you factor for rent and day care, while a lower-paying job in a smaller metro might actually leave your family with more disposable income,” Redfin’s chief economist Daryl Fairweather told Business Insider. “Like anything else, it’s ultimately a tradeoff and the decision should depend on your personal circumstances.”
On the other hand, places where families spend the smallest share of their income on childcare aren’t necessarily in places where homes are the cheapest.
“A cheap house doesn’t always translate to a cheap life,” Fairweather said. “We’re seeing metros where housing is a steal, but childcare is eating up a big portion of the family budget, and vice versa in places like San Francisco. Families need to look at the whole picture before they decide where to plant roots.”
Read on to see where childcare and housing costs take the smallest and biggest cuts of your paycheck.
Metros where childcare and housing consume the smallest share of family income
10. Dayton, OH
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 43.8%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,788
Median annual housing cost: $20,459
Median annual household income: $78,105
9. Louisville, KY
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 43.4%
Median annual childcare cost: $12,780
Median annual housing cost: $22,668
Median annual household income: $81,757
8. Tulsa, OK
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 43.3%
Median annual childcare cost: $10,860
Median annual housing cost: $21,879
Median annual household income: $75,570
7. Akron, OH
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 43.2%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,896
Median annual housing cost: $20,133
Median annual household income: $78,753
6. Baton Rouge, LA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 42.5%
Median annual childcare cost: $10,968
Median annual housing cost: $21,639
Median annual household income: $76,675
5. St. Louis, MO
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 42.2%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,872
Median annual housing cost: $23,552
Median annual household income: $88,593
4. Warren, MI
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 42.2%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,548
Median annual housing cost: $27,239
Median annual household income: $96,676
3. Des Moines, IA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 41.8%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,464
Median annual housing cost: $25,835
Median annual household income: $93,984
2. Oklahoma City, OK
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 40.8%
Median annual childcare cost: $10,884
Median annual housing cost: $21,290
Median annual household income: $78,818
1. Little Rock, AR
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 39.8%
Median annual childcare cost: $9,612
Median annual housing cost: $19,539
Median annual household income: $73,170
Metros where childcare and housing consume the biggest share of family income
10. Riverside, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 71%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,680
Median annual housing cost: $46,277
Median annual household income: $97,116
9. Miami, FL
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 75.3%
Median annual childcare cost: $13,080
Median annual housing cost: $45,523
Median annual household income: $77,854
8. Springfield, MA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 75.3%
Median annual childcare cost: $26,340
Median annual housing cost: $35,200
Median annual household income: $81,734
7. Oxnard, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 77.1%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,668
Median annual housing cost: $69,227
Median annual household income: $119,133
6. San Diego, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 82.1%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,632
Median annual housing cost: $71,997
Median annual household income: $115,304
5. San Jose, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 83.1%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,800
Median annual housing cost: $123,717
Median annual household income: $176,401
4. Anaheim, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 93.5%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,752
Median annual housing cost: $95,218
Median annual household income: $126,178
3. San Francisco, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 94.2%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,668
Median annual housing cost: $129,978
Median annual household income: $162,118
2. New York, NY
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 95%
Median annual childcare cost: $26,796
Median annual housing cost: $66,617
Median annual household income: $98,287
1. Los Angeles, CA
Share of income spent on childcare and housing combined: 96.8%
Median annual childcare cost: $22,656
Median annual housing cost: $71,957
Median annual household income: $97,775
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