Child care or rent? See 2 Ohio cities where child care costs more and 2 where it's almost equal

Did you know child c are costs about as much as monthly rent in some Ohio cities? In two big Buckeye State cities, child care costs more.

For many working families, finding affordable child care can be difficult when it costs an arm and a leg. Expenses pile up when compared to the cost of rent—and when there’s more than one child needing to be taken care of.

A study by LendingTree looked at 100 US metro cities and compared the average rent of a two-bedroom apartment to the average childcare expenses in each city. On average, families spend 18.6% of their income on child care.

Let’s take a look at what this study found on child care in Ohio’s biggest cities.

The child care system is broken: Here are 5 striking statistics that show why.

Two Ohio’s cities where child care costs more than rent: Dayton and Toledo

In two Ohio metro areas, child care costs more than rent.

Toledo’s monthly child care costs more than a two-bedroom unit, earning it a ranking of No. 13 in the LendingTree study, with a 2.9% difference. Child care costs an average of $1,015 per month, while the average rent is $986.

Dayton follows at No. 16 , with child care ($1,028 on average) costing 0.5% more than rent ($1,025).

In two other Ohio cities, rent and child care cost virtually the same. Akron ranked No. 17 , with child care ($1,036) costing 0.3% less than rent ($1,039). Cleveland came in at No. 23 , with child care ($1,047) costing 5.5% less than the average rent ($1,108).

Rent is still more than child care in Cincinnati and Columbus

Finally, two Ohio metropolises have stark differences in child care costs.

Cincinnati’s average child care expenses ($1,052 on average, per LendingTree) are 12% less than rent ($1,195), putting it No. 31 in the rankings. Columbus was No. 47 , with its child care expenses ($1,057) costing almost 19% less than rent ($1,302).

More: Child care or rent? In these cities, child care is now the greater expense

The average cost of child care plus rent in the US

Among all 100 U.S. metros in the study, the average monthly cost of child care for one infant is $1,218. If you add a four-year-old to that equation, that increases child care costs to $2,182.

In contrast, the average cost of a two-bedroom apartment is $1,566, which makes child care for two children about 40% more expensive.

More: Child care in Ohio costs more than housing and college. Here's why, what you need to know

Child care costs have soared 220% since 1990

Child care costs have risen 220% since 1990, significantly outpacing inflation, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation .

The average household that pays for child care spends $325 a week , or 18.6% of its weekly income, according to the LendingTree analysis. Another report , from the caregiver site Care.com, found that the average family spends 24% of its household income on child care.

Both figures exceed federal guidelines on what parents should pay for that service.

Top ten U.S. cities where child care costs more than rent

Here are the top 10 cities where child care may cost you a chunk of your income over rent, according to the study:

1. Springfield, Massachusetts (32.3% more)
2. Syracuse, New York (25.8% more)
3. Buffalo, New York (22.4% more)
4. Wichita, Kansas (22.4% more)
5. Spokane, Washington (21.8% more)
6. Bakersfield, California (20.3% more)
7. Worcester, Massachusetts (15.7% more)
8. Scranton, Pennsylvania (11% more)
9. Rochester, New York (10.5% more)
10. Minneapolis, Minnesota (8.9% more)

Daniel de Visé contributed to reporting

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Child care or rent? See 2 Ohio cities where child care costs more and 2 where it's almost equal