The 10 most and 10 least expensive cities to own a home and pay for childcare

Aug 22, 2026 06:03 PM - 3 weeks ago 10

Small kid pinch a colorful backpack walks manus successful manus pinch an big toward a building entrance.

Childcare and lodging costs tin transcend 90% of a family's income successful immoderate metros. dusanpetkovic/Getty Images

Buying a location already comes pinch plentifulness to consider, for illustration value and location, but if you person children aliases scheme to commencement a family, childcare should besides beryllium portion of the equation.

Some parents salary upward of $45,000 a twelvemonth successful childcare, and while a batch of that has to do pinch the value of childcare, a large portion of the value besides depends connected wherever you're located.

Redfin, successful business with childcare marketplace and information level Winnie, calculated the stock of income spent connected childcare costs mixed pinch lodging costs crossed the 100 astir populous metros.

Across the country, families walk 52% of their yearly income connected lodging and childcare combined. In immoderate cities connected the list, that number is supra 90%.

It whitethorn not beryllium astonishing that more costly regions of the state complaint higher childcare costs; however, successful areas where families are earning more, childcare costs stay taxing. In a metropolis for illustration San Jose, California, wherever the median family income is $176,401 — much than double the nationalist median of $83,730 successful 2024 — the stock of income spent connected childcare and lodging is 83.1%.

"A high-paying job successful San Francisco aliases Los Angeles tin get wiped retired accelerated erstwhile you facet for rent and time care, while a lower-paying occupation successful a smaller metro mightiness really time off your family pinch much disposable income," Redfin's main economist Daryl Fairweather told Business Insider. "Like thing else, it's yet a tradeoff and the determination should dangle connected your individual circumstances."

On the different hand, places wherever families walk the smallest stock of their income connected childcare aren't needfully successful places where homes are the cheapest.

"A inexpensive location doesn't ever construe to a inexpensive life," Fairweather said. "We're seeing metros wherever lodging is simply a steal, but childcare is eating up a large information of the family budget, and vice versa successful places for illustration San Francisco. Families request to look astatine the full image earlier they determine wherever to works roots."

Read connected to spot wherever childcare and lodging costs return the smallest and biggest cuts of your paycheck.

10. Dayton, OH

Downtown Dayton skyline glows astatine dusk beside the Great Miami River pinch bridges and colorful reflections.

Dayton, Ohio. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 43.8%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,788

Median yearly lodging cost: $20,459

Median yearly family income: $78,105

9. Louisville, KY

Downtown Louisville skyline glows astatine dusk down illuminated bridges complete the Ohio River pinch a vessel below.

Louisville, Kentucky. halbergman/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 43.4%

Median yearly childcare cost: $12,780

Median yearly lodging cost: $22,668

Median yearly family income: $81,757

8. Tulsa, OK

Downtown Tulsa skyline glows astatine dusk down a parkland pond pinch a fountain and reflected metropolis lights.

Tulsa, Oklahoma. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 43.3%

Median yearly childcare cost: $10,860

Median yearly lodging cost: $21,879

Median yearly family income: $75,570

7. Akron, OH

Downtown skyline pinch high-rise buildings, roads, greenish spaces, and autumn trees nether a partially cloudy bluish sky.

Akron, Ohio. Dee Liu/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 43.2%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,896

Median yearly lodging cost: $20,133

Median yearly family income: $78,753

6. Baton Rouge, LA

Aerial position of the Louisiana State Capitol and surrounding gardens beside a wide stream nether a partially cloudy sky.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana. CRobertson/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 42.5%

Median yearly childcare cost: $10,968

Median yearly lodging cost: $21,639

Median yearly family income: $76,675

5. St. Louis, MO

St. Louis skyline pinch the Gateway Arch beside the Mississippi River nether a partially cloudy sky.

St. Louis. Art Wager/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 42.2%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,872

Median yearly lodging cost: $23,552

Median yearly family income: $88,593

4. Warren, MI

Aerial position of an municipality roundabout surrounded by agency buildings, streets, parked cars, trees, and obstruction tracks.

Roseville, Michigan, six miles eastbound of Warren, Michigan. Hunter Souza/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 42.2%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,548

Median yearly lodging cost: $27,239

Median yearly family income: $96,676

3. Des Moines, IA

Iowa State Capitol pinch golden dome overlooks a wide avenue and downtown Des Moines nether agleam sun.

Des Moines, Iowa. Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 41.8%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,464

Median yearly lodging cost: $25,835

Median yearly family income: $93,984

2. Oklahoma City, OK

Downtown Oklahoma City skyline astatine sunset pinch high-rise towers, municipality buildings, trees, and ray trails successful the foreground.

Oklahoma City. RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 40.8%

Median yearly childcare cost: $10,884

Median yearly lodging cost: $21,290

Median yearly family income: $78,818

1. Little Rock, AR

Downtown Little Rock skyline and a achromatic arch span span the Arkansas River nether a bluish sky.

Little Rock, Arkansas. Rdlamkin/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 39.8%

Median yearly childcare cost: $9,612

Median yearly lodging cost: $19,539

Median yearly family income: $73,170

10. Riverside, CA

Aerial position of a landscaped riverside plaza pinch autumn trees, civic buildings, and cloudy bluish sky.

Riverside, California. DianeBentleyRaymond/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 71%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,680

Median yearly lodging cost: $46,277

Median yearly family income: $97,116

9. Miami, FL

Downtown Miami skyline rises on a turquoise waterfront nether a clear bluish sky.

Miami. photosvit/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 75.3%

Median yearly childcare cost: $13,080

Median yearly lodging cost: $45,523

Median yearly family income: $77,854

8. Springfield, MA

Downtown Springfield skyline reflects successful a calm stream nether lukewarm aureate light.

Springfield, Massachusetts. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 75.3%

Median yearly childcare cost: $26,340

Median yearly lodging cost: $35,200

Median yearly family income: $81,734

7. Oxnard, CA

Waterfront houses successful Oxnard, California.

Oxnard, California. benedek/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 77.1%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,668

Median yearly lodging cost: $69,227

Median yearly family income: $119,133

6. San Diego, CA

San Francisco skyline pinch high-rise buildings, the Ferry Building, and the Bay Bridge crossed the bay.

San Diego. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 82.1%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,632

Median yearly lodging cost: $71,997

Median yearly family income: $115,304

5. San Jose, CA

San Jose, California, skyline.

San Jose, California. halbergman/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 83.1%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,800

Median yearly lodging cost: $123,717

Median yearly family income: $176,401

4. Anaheim, CA

Bright and colorful image of residential area successful Anaheim, Orange County, California.

Anaheim, California. NANCY PAUWELS/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 93.5%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,752

Median yearly lodging cost: $95,218

Median yearly family income: $126,178

3. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco skyline and waterfront seen beside the Bay Bridge nether a clear bluish sky.

San Francisco. Dee Liu/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 94.2%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,668

Median yearly lodging cost: $129,978

Median yearly family income: $162,118

2. New York, NY

Statue of Liberty stands earlier the Lower Manhattan skyline reflected crossed calm h2o nether a bluish sky.

New York. full framework sensor

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 95%

Median yearly childcare cost: $26,796

Median yearly lodging cost: $66,617

Median yearly family income: $98,287

1. Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles downtown skyline.

Los Angeles. Kruck20/Getty Images

Share of income spent connected childcare and lodging combined: 96.8%

Median yearly childcare cost: $22,656

Median yearly lodging cost: $71,957

Median yearly family income: $97,775

Read next

Jordan reports connected moving trends — from remote work to house hacking. He besides writes astir movers struggling pinch issues astir relocating for illustration buyer's remorse and the galore intricacies of moving to an unfamiliar state. He besides has stories focusing connected property technology and successful 2022, moderated a sheet connected fractional investing astatine existent property exertion convention Blueprint.  Before Insider, he covered luxury existent property successful South Florida for The Real Deal.  He holds a Master's grade successful Magazine Writing from New York University and a Bachelor's grade successful English from Florida State University.

More