The best areas in England to raise a child – revealed

The best areas in England to raise a child – revealed

• Wolverhampton takes first spot, with the best average salary of the top 10
• Darlington comes in second and North Lincolnshire is third
• Hull is fifth, but has the lowest monthly costs of the top 10

According to a new study, Wolverhampton is the best place in England to raise a child.

The study, conducted by childcare and education experts Little Ones London, looked into childcare costs around England, as well as the average rent for a two bedroom property and compared the two to the average salary in the area, to obtain a list of the best areas in the country to raise a baby.

Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, has been awarded top spot, as it offers the best combination of relatively low childcare costs compared to salary. The area’s average monthly childcare costs for 30 hours a week are £866, which along with the average monthly cost of renting a two-bedroom property of £611, adds to up to £1477 a month. Also, the area’s average gross monthly salary is £2,634, which results in the cost being 56% of the wage, the lowest ratio on the list.

Darlington, in the North East, comes in second. The total monthly costs of £1261.70, which are a sum of the childcare costs of £797 and the average rent of £464, correspond to 64.81% of the average salary of £1946.80.

North Lincolnshire, in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber, is the third best area to raise a child, as the monthly costs of £1247.60 (£768.60 for childcare and £479 for rent) are 65.68% of the average monthly salary of £1247.60.

Kingston upon Hull, in Yorkshire and the Humber, comes in fifth but can boast the lowest monthly costs of the top 10 of £1150 a month, which correspond to 66% of the monthly salary of £1738.8.

A spokesperson by Little Ones London commented on the findings:

“Having a baby isn’t cheap, and there’s many factors to take into consideration when deciding how and where to raise your child. This list shows the areas in England where it is most convenient based on childcare costs, average rent, and monthly salary. It is interesting to see how all of these areas are located in northern regions of the country, as the south is generally known to be more expensive in terms of rent, as the higher pay cheques do not outweigh the higher monthly expenses, including childcare costs.”

The study was conducted by Little Ones London, the UK's leading Nanny, Childcare and Domestic Placement Provider.  https://littleoneslondon.co.uk/