Are domestic employees common where you live? (middle-class, houses)

[tvdxer]

Are domestic employees (cleaning ladies, laundry ladies, au pairs, chefs, etc.) common in your neck of the woods?

They aren't here in egalitarian Northern Minnesota. I know of absolutely nobody with a cleaning lady, much less a chef or butler. Even the wealthy I have known do not have them. Maybe a Rent-a-Maid two or three hours weekly, but nothing more.

On the other hand, I've seen on TV and movies that this job is quite common in places on the Coasts, such as California and New Jersey (e.g. the Polish maid at the Soprano household). Is this an accurate depiction?

Also, I've noticed that it's very common for a middle-class household to have such employees in Mexico. For example, one of my friends had a 17-year-old girl come to his parent's household daily to do such things as teach their grandchildren and clean (even though the matron of the house did most of the cooking), another one had a laundry lady, and another whined that she had to do household chores because they couldn't afford a domestic any longer.

[citylove101]

Around here domestic help is pretty normal for two income, upper middle class , professional families. It's also not uncommon for many single moms who work if they can afford it. Because NYC is such am immigrant destination many of these nannies, housekeepers, yard workers and the like are of Carribean or Latin American origin. Not so much Mexican though, which I think is more California thing. For some folks there is certain amount of prestige in having European domestic help

But it's definitely a class thing. Most of us look after our own kids and clean our own houses. It's just more noticeable here because there are so many more affluent people in NYC.

[citylove101]

Around here domestic help is pretty normal for two income, upper middle class , professional families. It's also not uncommon for many single moms who work if they can afford it. Because NYC is such am immigrant destination many of these nannies, housekeepers, yard workers and the like are of Carribean or Latin American origin. Not so much Mexican though, which I think is more California thing. For some folks there is certain amount of prestige in having European domestic help

But it's definitely a class thing. Most of us look after our own kids and clean our own houses. It's just more noticeable here because there are so many more affluent people in NYC.

[Hemlock140]

In the affluent suburbs east of Seattle it's fairly common in the million dollar plus homes such as Medina and parts of Bellevue, and waterfront properties. Less common in the more middle class areas like here with $600k homes, but having a garden service or tutors to help the kids maintain a 4.0 average is common.