The 5 best cities in America to raise a family — and the 5 worst
Knowing where to put down roots is a complicated choice. A new WalletHub report tries to make the decision easier
The average American moves about a dozen times throughout their life. Whether for school, work, love, a change of pace, or some combination of the four, where you choose to live is no small decision.
That’s why WalletHub set out to find the best and worst places to raise a family.
“Finding the best place to raise a family is difficult, between balancing an affordable cost of living with good educational opportunities, safety and enough recreation to keep kids entertained,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
WalletHub looked at dozens of factors across five key metrics: socioeconomics, affordability, education and childcare, health and safety, and family fun. The ranking considered everything from playgrounds per capita to air quality to local high school graduation rates.
Continue reading to see the five big cities ranked the highest and the five that ranked lowest for raising a family.
2 / 11
5th Worst: Newark, New Jersey
3 / 11
4th Worst: Gulfport, Mississippi
4 / 11
3rd Worst: Cleveland, Ohio
5 / 11
2nd Worst: Detroit, Michigan
6 / 11
Worst: Memphis, Tennessee
7 / 11
5th Best: South Burlington, Vermont
8 / 11
4th Best: Irvine, California
9 / 11
3rd Best: Plano, Texas
10 / 11
2nd Best: Overland Park, Kansas
11 / 11
Best: Fremont, California
