/filters:quality(60)/neighborhoods-to-raise-family.jpg "Raising a Family? Here's Where to Live (and Where to Avoid)")
If you have or want to have children, here are the best and worst places to raise a family, according to WalletHub.
For families with kids, factors like neighborhood safety and school district ratings play a big role in where they choose to live. Moving can be extremely stressful on a family, so parents often look for cities where they can put down roots and settle in for a while as their children grow up.
That’s why research on a neighborhood, including its property values, job opportunities, economic growth and proximity to family amenities, is essential for parents and parents-to-be. To help families narrow down their choices, WalletHub recently compared more than 180 American cities to uncover the best places to raise a family.
The WalletHub study looked at the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The company consulted with experts in family studies, psychology and household finance to determine the best indicators of a “good” place to raise children. The top five metrics – family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socio-economics – were then assessed across each of WalletHub’s chosen cities.
After assigning an individual ranking to each city for these five metrics, an overall score was calculated to list the cities in order from best to worst.
The best places to raise a family in America
According to WalletHub, here are the top 10 U.S. cities in which to raise your family:
| Rank | City | Best Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overland Park, Kansas | Affordability (#1) |
| 2 | Fremont, California | Health and Safety (#1) and Socio-economics (#1) |
| 3 | Irvine, California | Health and Safety (#2) |
| 4 | Plano, Texas | Socio-economics (#2) |
| 5 | South Burlington, Vermont | Education and Child Care (#1) |
| 6 | Bismarck, North Dakota | Affordability (#6) |
| 7 | Gilbert, Arizona | Socio-economics (#11) |
| 8 | Fargo, North Dakota | Education and Child Care (#10) |
| 9 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Socio-economics (#10) |
| 10 | Boise, Idaho | Affordability (#5) |
The worst places to raise a family in America
Conversely, you may want to avoid the following 10 cities if you have children:
| Rank | City | Worst Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, Michigan | Socio-economics (#182) |
| 2 | Newark, New Jersey | Affordability (#179) |
| 3 | Cleveland, Ohio | Socio-economics (#180) |
| 4 | Memphis, Tennessee | Health and Safety (#182) |
| 5 | Shreveport, Louisiana | Health and Safety (#180) |
| 6 | Wilmington, Delaware | Socio-economics (#181) |
| 7 | San Bernardino, California | Affordability (#178) |
| 8 | Hialeah, Florida | Affordability (#181) |
| 9 | Baltimore, Maryland | Socio-economics (#178) |
| 10 | Augusta, Georgia | Education and Child Care (#174) |
You can view the full ranking table on WalletHub.
How to choose the right neighborhood from your family
Based on WalletHub’s expert insights, here are a few key things to consider when choosing the right place to settle down with your family:
- Your social support network in/near the area you plan to move.
- Quality of life factors (access to fresh produce, youth employment opportunities, etc.)
- Educational institutions through the university level
- Diversity in residents/neighborhoods
- Access to green spaces/parks
Want to know what properties in your neighborhood are worth? Plug any address into NeighborWho to find out owner details, current value and more.
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