SALT LAKE CITY — There is no question it costs a lot of money to live in San Francisco.
And for families, that’s before child care costs.
San Francisco child care costs were deemed the highest in the country in a new analysis from HotPads.
The study found the average cost of child care for one child sits at $1,955, which is more than half the average rent for the area of $3,455.
The company used census data and Care.com’s annual Care Index to calculate the cost of care for 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year.
The study found New Yorkers spend $1,630 on child care and $2,855 on average for rent.
Chicago families will spend $1,785 on rent and $1,500 per month on child care, according to the study.
HotPads economist Joshua Clark said the two costs are connected, according to SFGate.com.
"Rent appreciation has slowed from recent highs, but as the economic recovery matures, child care costs will likely continue to rise," Clark said. "For renters with young children in child care, that means any potential savings from softer rent appreciation could quickly be eroded by higher child care expenses."
It appears San Francisco may be too expensive for some families. For example, The New York Times reported that the California city has the lowest percentage of children compared to all other major U.S. cities.
Here’s the data: 13 percent of San Francisco’s population is younger than 18. In New York, that number is 21 percent. In Chicago, it’s closer to 23 percent.
"As a mother of three kids in San Francisco, I'm familiar with this trend because my years of parenting have been filled with heartbreak over saying goodbye to fleeing families we grew close to through play groups, preschool, the neighborhood," SFGate producer Amy Graff wrote about The New York Times report.
Utah’s prices are much lower. For example, child care costs can range from as low as $215 per month (that’s at a family day care center) to $1,300 per month, according to the University of Utah’s Center for Child Care and Family Resources.