- caption
- In some places you can save up to $14,000 annually by choosing the city over a suburb.
- source
- Mats Lindh/Flickr
When the time comes to raise a family, most people tend to flee cities for suburbs expecting they’ll get more bang for their buck.
But a new report from Care.com and Zillow reveals 10 popular places in the US where it’s actually cheaper to live in a metro area’s city rather than suburb, thanks to lower housing and childcare costs.
To determine how cost of living compares in the country’s 30 largest metros, Care.com and Zillow gathered data on three common living expenses – mortgage payments, property taxes, and childcare costs – for a two-child family living in the median home. Read their full methodology here.
Below, check out the 10 cities where a family can save the most compared with the suburbs.
10. Pittsburgh
- source
- Edwin Verin/Shutterstock
How much you save: $4,258
Annual cost of childcare: $16,999
Annual cost of housing: $6,916
Median home square footage: 1,420
9. San Diego
- source
- Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
How much you save: $4,555
Annual cost of childcare: $20,036
Annual cost of housing: $27,803
Median home square footage: 1,336
8. Cincinnati
- caption
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- source
- photo.ua/Shutterstock
How much you save: $5,514
Annual cost of childcare: $13,759
Annual cost of housing: $12,607
Median home square footage: 1,420
7. Phoenix
- source
- Dreamframer/Shutterstock
How much you save: $6,567
Annual cost of childcare: $15,747
Annual cost of housing: $26,893
Median home square footage: 1,560
6. Providence
How much you save: $6,974
Annual cost of childcare: $17,504
Annual cost of housing: $12,389
Median home square footage: 1,296
5. Las Vegas
- source
- f11photo/Shutterstock
How much you save: $7,318
Annual cost of childcare: $15,846
Annual cost of housing: $10,481
Median home square footage: 1,478
4. Milwaukee
- source
- Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock
How much you save: $8,227
Annual cost of childcare: $19,688
Annual cost of housing: $7,431
Median home square footage: 1,271
3. Cleveland
- source
- f11photo/Shutterstock
How much you save: $9,034
Annual cost of childcare: $15,988
Annual cost of housing: $7,625
Median home square footage: 1,356
2. Baltimore
- source
- S.Borisov/Shutterstock
How much you save: $10,790
Annual cost of childcare: $18,367
Annual cost of housing: $5,904
Median home square footage: 1,292
1. Philadelphia
How much you save: $13,859
Annual cost of childcare: $17,753
Annual cost of housing: $7,402
Median home square footage: 1,254