Palo Alto Parents, Do You Overpay For Babysitting?

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Babysitting can be a big money-maker, especially in Silicon Valley.

San Francisco Bay Area babysitters are the best-paid in the United States, a recent Huffington Post article.

A babysitter in Palo Alto watching one child should be paid between $12.50 and $14 an hour, according to online rate calculators.

That's on-par with regional averages: $14 per hour for one child and $19.25 for three children, according to a new report from UrbanSitter.com. The data shows Bay Area parents who use the website pay more for childcare that parents in any of the 13 other U.S. metro areas the site serves.

“One reason for this disparity is New York has better public transportation,” UrbanSitter’s founder Lynn Perkins told 7x7. "The babysitters say that matters."

UrbanSitter, which started in San Francisco, matches parents and care providers using social networks. Over 9,200 parents and 3,100 sitters are using the service, according to 7x7.

UrbanSitter, along with national networks Care.com and SitterCity.com, provide profiles, reviews and suggested rates to parents selecting babysitters.

The online rate calculator on Care.com put the going rate for a sitter with any experience watching one child in Palo Alto at $12.50 an hour. SitterCity.com's rate calcuator figured a babysitter between the ages of 18-21 with little experience should be paid $14 an hour in Palo Alto. That increases to $15 if the sitter is older and has more experience.

Parents, how much do you pay for babysitting in Palo Alto? How do you find your sitters? Tell us in the comment section below.

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