Skyrocketing babysitting rates in the Philadelphia region are forcing local parents to think twice about leaving their children at home with a babysitter, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

According to an analysis by UrbanSitter, babysitting rates increased by close to 10 percent just in 2022 on the national level, outpacing inflation once again. The average national hourly rate last year was $22.68 for one child. For two children, parents had to pay an average of $25.37. 

The rate for one child went up by 17 percent in Philadelphia from 2021 to 2022. The rate for two children stayed the same. Still, with an average hourly rate of $18.03 for one child, Philadelphia was the fourth-least expensive city in which to hire a babysitter in 2022. 

However, babysitting rates are higher in the suburbs. 

David Levi, of West Chester, pays a babysitter $25 an hour every other week for several days when he has custody of his baby daughter. At first, Levi thought $15 would be acceptable. 

But then he learned more about what the going rates and realized how hard it was to find a reliable babysitter. 

Read more about the babysitting rates in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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