10 Best -- & Worst -- Cities in America to Raise a Family (Is It Time to Move?)
Choosing the ideal place to raise your family is one of the biggest decisions we make as parents. After all, few things affect the quality of your family's life as much as where that life is being lived -- but how can you tell if your kids will thrive in the city of your dreams? WalletHub looked at a variety of factors, including the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health care systems, and "family fun" opportunities, and ranked the 150 most populated cities in the US in terms of just how family-friendly they truly are.
One of the most interesting things about these findings is that how the cities rated apparently had little to do with the region; great (and not-so-great) cities can be found all over the map. WalletHub's rankings took into consideration these five key factors:
- Family Fun: Everything from the number of playgrounds to the percentage of families with children under 17.
- Health & Safety: From air and water quality to violent crime stats.
- Education & Child Care: This included WalletHub's "School Systems" Ranking, as a well as factors like affordable childcare and the high school graduation rate.
- Affordability: Factors like housing and the cost of living.
- Socioeconomic Environment: This is all about the social environment, from divorce rate to the percentage of families living below the poverty line.
Read on to find out if you should start browsing the real estate section now -- or if you're already in the perfect place to put down roots! (And check out the full list of cities and their rankings here.)
Image via iStock.com/Geber86
#9 Worst City for Families: North Las Vegas, Nevada
There are no lack of children in North Las Vegas -- the city came in at #5 for "most families with kids" -- but since it was ranked as the 115th most affordable city, that means there's no lack of stressed-out parents, either (also because education and childcare systems are #148).
#8 Worst City for Families: Shreveport, Louisiana
If you're looking for a good time, maybe don't go to Shreveport: In the "family fun" category, the city came in at #95. That's no fun at all!
More from CafeMom: The 10 Best -- & Worst -- States for Working Moms
#5 Worst City for Families: Cleveland, Ohio
With one of the highest percentages of families living below the poverty level in the country, Cleveland also has THE highest divorce rate of all the cities analyzed.
More from CafeMom: 10 Best & Worst States for Schools -- Is Yours on the List?
#2 Worst City for Families: San Bernardino, California
Talk about a bad combination: San Bernardino has lots of poverty, and not a lot of playgrounds.
More from CafeMom: Best & Worst States at Dealing With Bullying: How Scary Is It Where You Live?
#10 Best City for Families: Fremont, California
Fremont got super high ratings in two super important areas, with the second lowest percentage of families living below poverty level in the country and the fourth lowest violent crime rate per capita. Fremont also has THE lowest divorce rate in the country!
#9 Best City for Families: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Beautiful Colorado Springs got high ratings for its education and health care system. (Maybe because everybody's in such great shape from spending all that time in the great outdoors!)
More from CafeMom: 10 Best & 10 Worst States for Poor Kids to Live In: Is Yours on the List?
#6 Best City for Families: Lincoln, Nebraska
The state capital of Nebraska, Lincoln was ranked the 8th most affordable city for families in the country, with a low percentage of parents and kids living under the poverty line (and a low separation and divorce rate).
More from CafeMom: 10 Best & Worst States to Raise a Girl: Is Yours on the List?
#3 Best City for Families: Plano, Texas
If you've never heard of Plano, Texas, you might be missing out: The city has the #1 most affordable housing in the country and has the second highest median family salary (plus low rates of divorce and poverty).
More from CafeMom: 10 States That Vaccinate the Most & the Least -- Is Yours on the List?