Napa Valley Parents, Do You Overpay For Babysitting?

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

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

A babysitter in Napa Valley watching one child should be paid between $14.25 and $14.75 an hour, according to online rate calculator SitterCity.com. That is  better than the recently upped minimum wage of $10 per hour in neighboring San Jose.

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 than 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.

SitterCity.com's rate calcuator figured a babysitter between the ages of 18-21 with little experience should be paid $14.25 an hour to watch one child in Napa Valley That increases to $14.75 if the sitter is older and has more experience.

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