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The cost of child care for two children is approximately 40% higher than rent in America’s biggest metropolitan areas, according to a new study (The Hill).

What’s going on: “The analysis [from online loan marketplace LendingTree] determined that the average monthly cost of full-time center-based child care for an infant and a 4-year-old is $2,182. That’s 39.4 percent higher than the average rent for a two-bedroom unit, which is $1,566.”

• Child care for two children is more costly than renting a two-bedroom apartment in 91 of the 100 cities reviewed.
• Some families pay more than twice the average rent each month in child care.

Where the ratio’s highest: Springfield, Massachusetts, has the highest care-to-rent ratio, with the average monthly cost of center-based day care for two children coming in at 136% higher than rent for a two-bedroom apartment. The cities with the next highest ratios are:

• Syracuse, New York (131%)
• Buffalo, New York (125%)
• Spokane, Washington (116%)
• Bakersfield, California (109%)

Most and least expensive: Washington, D.C., is the most expensive place to have two young children enrolled in a day-care center, according to the study, costing an average of $3,337 per month. Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, followed closely behind.

• The South is the most affordable region for day care. In Jackson, Mississippi—the least expensive of the cities analyzed—the monthly price tag for sending two kids to full-time day care is $1,337 a month. That is still more than the average two-bedroom rent.

Manufacturers make moves: Manufacturers are taking steps to solve the problem of costly child care. See some of their creative offerings here, here and here.