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Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family (2025) Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterMay 27, 2025best worst places to raise a family Families move often and for various reasons. In fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.7 times in a lifetime. Moving can be a sign of opportunity, such as a new job or long-term wealth accumulation, but people may also move because of instability such as foreclosure or job loss. During this period of significant inflation, many families might consider moving to a place with a relatively low cost of living. With families in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 key metrics that consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. While not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a better sense of their options. Top 5 Places to Raise a Family in 2025 Fremont, CA Overland Park, KS Plano, TX Irvine, CA South Burlington, VT chip lupo “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. On top of all of these factors, people also often want to raise their children close to their extended family. Therefore, current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive of their family.” Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst Table of Contents Main Findings In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Raise a Family Ask the Experts Methodology Main Findings 1 1 182 182 City Rank Fremont, CA 1 Overland Park, KS 2 Plano, TX 3 Irvine, CA 4 South Burlington, VT 5 Seattle, WA 6 Boise, ID 7 Gilbert, AZ 8 Bismarck, ND 9 San Diego, CA 10 Huntington Beach, CA 11 Scottsdale, AZ 12 San Jose, CA 13 Columbia, MD 14 Charleston, SC 15 Austin, TX 16 Fargo, ND 17 Sioux Falls, SD 18 Lincoln, NE 19 Virginia Beach, VA 20 San Francisco, CA 21 Portland, OR 22 Chandler, AZ 23 Omaha, NE 24 Madison, WI 25 Chesapeake, VA 26 Warwick, RI 27 Honolulu, HI 28 Nashua, NH 29 Santa Rosa, CA 30 Huntsville, AL 31 Santa Clarita, CA 32 St. Paul, MN 33 Minneapolis, MN 34 Portland, ME 35 Pearl City, HI 36 Casper, WY 37 Cedar Rapids, IA 38 Pittsburgh, PA 39 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 40 Sacramento, CA 41 Denver, CO 42 Washington, DC 43 Raleigh, NC 44 Lewiston, ME 45 Lexington-Fayette, KY 46 Chula Vista, CA 47 Garden Grove, CA 48 Peoria, AZ 49 Orlando, FL 50 Billings, MT 51 Atlanta, GA 52 St. Petersburg, FL 53 Salt Lake City, UT 54 Cheyenne, WY 55 Henderson, NV 56 Tampa, FL 57 Oklahoma City, OK 58 Oceanside, CA 59 Pembroke Pines, FL 60 Jersey City, NJ 61 Aurora, IL 62 Missoula, MT 63 Colorado Springs, CO 64 Durham, NC 65 Las Vegas, NV 66 Nampa, ID 67 Burlington, VT 68 New York, NY 69 Charlotte, NC 70 Reno, NV 71 Columbus, OH 72 Juneau, AK 73 Des Moines, IA 74 Grand Prairie, TX 75 Los Angeles, CA 76 Amarillo, TX 77 Modesto, CA 78 Boston, MA 79 Rapid City, SD 80 Spokane, WA 81 Anchorage, AK 82 Charleston, WV 83 Glendale, CA 84 Tulsa, OK 85 Kansas City, MO 86 Chicago, IL 87 Yonkers, NY 88 Manchester, NH 89 Fort Worth, TX 90 Long Beach, CA 91 Laredo, TX 92 Phoenix, AZ 93 West Valley City, UT 94 Providence, RI 95 Cincinnati, OH 96 Vancouver, WA 97 Mesa, AZ 98 Tempe, AZ 99 Grand Rapids, MI 100 Arlington, TX 101 Anaheim, CA 102 Irving, TX 103 Nashville, TN 104 Garland, TX 105 Worcester, MA 106 Buffalo, NY 107 Tallahassee, FL 108 Jacksonville, FL 109 El Paso, TX 110 Bakersfield, CA 111 Fontana, CA 112 Fort Wayne, IN 113 Knoxville, TN 114 Cape Coral, FL 115 Oakland, CA 116 Louisville, KY 117 Brownsville, TX 118 Stockton, CA 119 Albuquerque, NM 120 Lubbock, TX 121 Salem, OR 122 Santa Ana, CA 123 Fresno, CA 124 Chattanooga, TN 125 Fort Smith, AR 126 Port St. Lucie, FL 127 Richmond, VA 128 Riverside, CA 129 Springfield, MO 130 Newport News, VA 131 Tacoma, WA 132 Rochester, NY 133 Oxnard, CA 134 Columbia, SC 135 Dallas, TX 136 Norfolk, VA 137 Glendale, AZ 138 Columbus, GA 139 Greensboro, NC 140 Wichita, KS 141 Huntington, WV 142 Philadelphia, PA 143 Houston, TX 144 New Haven, CT 145 Ontario, CA 146 Corpus Christi, TX 147 Moreno Valley, CA 148 North Las Vegas, NV 149 Tucson, AZ 150 Winston-Salem, NC 150 San Antonio, TX 152 Dover, DE 153 Milwaukee, WI 154 Aurora, CO 155 St. Louis, MO 156 Las Cruces, NM 157 Indianapolis, IN 158 Akron, OH 159 Baton Rouge, LA 160 Bridgeport, CT 161 Mobile, AL 162 Fort Lauderdale, FL 163 Miami, FL 164 Montgomery, AL 165 Fayetteville, NC 166 Little Rock, AR 167 Wilmington, DE 168 Shreveport, LA 169 Augusta, GA 170 Toledo, OH 171 New Orleans, LA 172 Hialeah, FL 173 Jackson, MS 174 San Bernardino, CA 175 Baltimore, MD 176 Birmingham, AL 177 Newark, NJ 178 Gulfport, MS 179 Cleveland, OH 180 Detroit, MI 181 Memphis, TN 182 Embed on your website Best Places to Raise a Family Overall Rank City Total Score Family Fun Rank Health & Safety Rank Education & Child Care Rank Affordability Rank Socio-economics Rank 1 Fremont, CA 73.53 86 4 2 9 1 2 Overland Park, KS 71.66 102 18 10 1 3 3 Plano, TX 68.55 75 5 19 6 2 4 Irvine, CA 68.50 31 3 3 52 11 5 South Burlington, VT 65.07 163 108 1 10 17 6 Seattle, WA 64.93 71 93 11 7 14 7 Boise, ID 64.86 18 26 30 28 18 8 Gilbert, AZ 64.69 70 16 50 14 4 9 Bismarck, ND 64.57 117 32 64 4 9 10 San Diego, CA 64.39 5 21 12 82 30 11 Huntington Beach, CA 63.75 90 17 4 103 7 12 Scottsdale, AZ 63.15 42 38 76 15 6 13 San Jose, CA 62.87 45 20 13 66 21 14 Columbia, MD 62.74 87 48 78 2 47 15 Charleston, SC 62.56 30 63 29 32 46 16 Austin, TX 61.97 83 92 27 8 40 17 Fargo, ND 61.83 115 28 60 13 20 18 Sioux Falls, SD 61.59 130 31 48 19 22 19 Lincoln, NE 61.58 62 34 69 20 22 20 Virginia Beach, VA 61.53 146 10 22 35 24 21 San Francisco, CA 61.40 15 67 16 56 67 22 Portland, OR 61.00 34 116 7 33 86 23 Chandler, AZ 60.99 73 37 55 38 8 24 Omaha, NE 60.90 79 64 28 21 66 25 Madison, WI 60.85 88 42 102 5 25 26 Chesapeake, VA 60.80 95 24 47 31 38 27 Warwick, RI 60.39 182 1 33 17 50 28 Honolulu, HI 59.92 23 8 21 130 35 29 Nashua, NH 59.74 154 27 42 37 36 30 Santa Rosa, CA 59.05 77 2 44 95 52 31 Huntsville, AL 58.76 101 13 92 42 60 32 Santa Clarita, CA 58.56 121 9 5 128 70 33 St. Paul, MN 58.48 17 60 118 18 106 34 Minneapolis, MN 58.47 27 146 112 3 92 35 Portland, ME 58.29 159 33 40 47 45 36 Pearl City, HI 58.01 177 14 6 91 13 37 Casper, WY 57.58 57 89 56 60 32 38 Cedar Rapids, IA 57.27 139 45 137 11 63 39 Pittsburgh, PA 57.20 67 75 54 25 127 40 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 57.15 82 68 17 138 12 41 Sacramento, CA 57.05 3 81 84 78 98 42 Denver, CO 57.05 9 159 63 34 97 43 Washington, DC 57.04 68 109 18 23 157 44 Raleigh, NC 56.99 142 73 77 12 72 45 Lewiston, ME 56.98 147 6 35 72 100 46 Lexington-Fayette, KY 56.68 141 49 62 24 85 47 Chula Vista, CA 56.61 106 7 25 133 44 48 Garden Grove, CA 56.49 48 15 9 173 34 49 Peoria, AZ 56.47 85 51 105 58 28 50 Orlando, FL 56.36 8 114 73 55 110 51 Billings, MT 56.24 138 155 43 29 39 52 Atlanta, GA 56.22 14 119 57 22 158 53 St. Petersburg, FL 56.21 66 70 87 51 54 54 Salt Lake City, UT 56.01 74 122 100 46 16 55 Cheyenne, WY 55.93 132 143 70 27 37 56 Henderson, NV 55.91 56 35 115 68 55 57 Tampa, FL 55.87 4 96 95 70 118 58 Oklahoma City, OK 55.57 58 120 91 36 65 59 Oceanside, CA 55.55 108 22 41 139 15 60 Pembroke Pines, FL 55.51 149 12 14 145 71 61 Jersey City, NJ 55.25 165 11 20 100 82 62 Aurora, IL 55.21 107 29 58 81 88 63 Missoula, MT 55.02 92 132 15 88 80 64 Colorado Springs, CO 54.92 55 112 125 40 61 65 Durham, NC 54.90 161 133 34 26 76 66 Las Vegas, NV 54.77 1 61 151 111 120 67 Nampa, ID 54.56 52 46 110 80 62 68 Burlington, VT 54.47 166 101 46 39 93 69 New York, NY 54.22 6 53 8 170 140 70 Charlotte, NC 54.00 114 117 68 41 81 71 Reno, NV 53.71 38 66 79 107 91 72 Columbus, OH 53.33 60 83 141 45 129 73 Juneau, AK 53.18 180 77 111 63 5 74 Des Moines, IA 53.15 145 47 159 16 142 75 Grand Prairie, TX 53.15 47 59 165 98 43 76 Los Angeles, CA 53.00 2 87 37 172 109 77 Amarillo, TX 52.99 81 129 85 74 48 78 Modesto, CA 52.97 21 58 158 94 74 79 Boston, MA 52.93 99 39 39 92 150 80 Rapid City, SD 52.93 135 151 96 48 42 81 Spokane, WA 52.52 103 136 81 49 101 82 Anchorage, AK 52.13 134 124 61 85 19 83 Charleston, WV 52.12 179 72 154 30 73 84 Glendale, CA 52.06 54 19 38 169 79 85 Tulsa, OK 52.04 11 147 147 59 113 86 Kansas City, MO 51.80 37 176 106 43 102 87 Chicago, IL 51.75 19 100 72 97 153 88 Yonkers, NY 51.70 178 30 26 113 117 89 Manchester, NH 51.68 173 62 109 65 75 90 Fort Worth, TX 51.65 59 106 157 69 69 91 Long Beach, CA 51.64 24 50 24 174 96 92 Laredo, TX 51.60 69 82 23 151 116 93 Phoenix, AZ 51.45 7 145 145 112 77 94 West Valley City, UT 51.40 40 54 181 105 27 95 Providence, RI 51.33 105 23 51 117 154 96 Cincinnati, OH 51.26 10 115 138 62 166 97 Vancouver, WA 51.12 136 104 66 89 94 98 Mesa, AZ 50.84 97 84 160 104 31 99 Tempe, AZ 50.78 46 126 175 90 26 100 Grand Rapids, MI 50.76 162 103 139 44 112 101 Arlington, TX 50.75 72 99 149 99 59 102 Anaheim, CA 50.60 51 43 49 175 49 103 Irving, TX 50.56 172 76 146 86 10 104 Nashville, TN 49.55 125 164 129 53 64 105 Garland, TX 49.42 144 78 135 127 29 106 Worcester, MA 49.41 156 71 74 84 152 107 Buffalo, NY 49.34 98 111 82 50 175 108 Tallahassee, FL 49.31 122 125 97 67 141 109 Jacksonville, FL 49.20 94 128 132 76 111 110 El Paso, TX 49.18 20 94 104 155 124 111 Bakersfield, CA 49.17 26 127 143 123 99 112 Fontana, CA 49.11 35 74 107 168 41 113 Fort Wayne, IN 49.09 169 65 163 61 89 114 Knoxville, TN 49.09 127 107 89 93 132 115 Cape Coral, FL 49.00 171 41 134 135 53 116 Oakland, CA 49.00 140 138 32 108 138 117 Louisville, KY 48.68 148 105 152 57 119 118 Brownsville, TX 48.61 89 134 31 154 126 119 Stockton, CA 48.51 16 102 136 144 134 120 Albuquerque, NM 48.46 36 179 103 77 121 121 Lubbock, TX 48.44 111 154 65 96 115 122 Salem, OR 48.17 152 80 124 125 78 123 Santa Ana, CA 48.13 93 56 52 179 33 124 Fresno, CA 48.06 43 97 99 147 143 125 Chattanooga, TN 47.94 155 177 101 54 95 126 Fort Smith, AR 47.82 91 156 133 114 57 127 Port St. Lucie, FL 47.76 181 36 120 129 51 128 Richmond, VA 47.43 137 69 116 115 147 129 Riverside, CA 47.15 61 113 122 166 58 130 Springfield, MO 47.13 120 162 119 102 90 131 Newport News, VA 46.83 143 90 162 116 105 132 Tacoma, WA 46.81 175 178 80 64 104 133 Rochester, NY 46.80 126 131 45 75 179 134 Oxnard, CA 46.78 39 25 161 176 83 135 Columbia, SC 46.74 25 118 153 110 165 136 Dallas, TX 46.65 96 140 108 132 107 137 Norfolk, VA 46.60 119 55 150 140 130 138 Glendale, AZ 46.59 28 137 164 153 103 139 Columbus, GA 46.58 84 110 113 146 128 140 Greensboro, NC 46.57 109 152 88 106 145 141 Wichita, KS 46.25 168 153 140 79 68 142 Huntington, WV 46.16 112 86 174 120 137 143 Philadelphia, PA 46.15 12 121 142 134 170 144 Houston, TX 46.13 33 169 121 131 135 145 New Haven, CT 45.91 44 98 71 159 172 146 Ontario, CA 45.82 63 85 126 177 56 147 Corpus Christi, TX 45.60 160 130 130 119 84 148 Moreno Valley, CA 45.56 50 57 176 171 87 149 North Las Vegas, NV 45.51 53 52 182 150 139 150 Tucson, AZ 45.49 13 165 171 142 122 150 Winston-Salem, NC 45.49 104 141 156 121 114 152 San Antonio, TX 45.42 80 163 128 126 131 153 Dover, DE 45.38 174 95 117 122 144 154 Milwaukee, WI 45.09 41 142 148 124 164 155 Aurora, CO 45.06 167 157 113 83 125 156 St. Louis, MO 45.05 64 175 170 73 156 157 Las Cruces, NM 44.84 29 166 86 157 151 158 Indianapolis, IN 44.18 151 160 177 71 133 159 Akron, OH 44.08 133 79 169 109 176 160 Baton Rouge, LA 43.74 123 171 90 101 168 161 Bridgeport, CT 43.64 150 44 67 167 173 162 Mobile, AL 43.64 129 144 131 143 146 163 Fort Lauderdale, FL 43.50 164 135 75 162 123 164 Miami, FL 43.21 65 91 36 181 155 165 Montgomery, AL 42.97 110 139 144 137 160 166 Fayetteville, NC 42.81 116 150 123 160 148 167 Little Rock, AR 42.17 158 182 94 87 108 168 Wilmington, DE 41.94 118 123 83 141 180 169 Shreveport, LA 41.79 131 161 93 152 162 170 Augusta, GA 41.30 128 167 98 149 161 171 Toledo, OH 41.28 78 149 178 136 171 172 New Orleans, LA 40.94 32 174 155 164 163 173 Hialeah, FL 39.78 176 40 59 182 149 174 Jackson, MS 39.57 76 180 127 161 167 175 San Bernardino, CA 39.26 22 168 172 178 136 176 Baltimore, MD 39.06 157 148 166 118 178 177 Birmingham, AL 38.23 124 170 167 148 174 178 Newark, NJ 38.07 170 88 53 180 177 179 Gulfport, MS 37.67 113 158 179 165 159 180 Cleveland, OH 34.89 100 172 173 163 181 181 Detroit, MI 34.10 49 173 180 156 182 182 Memphis, TN 34.07 153 181 168 158 169 Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category. Playgrounds per Capita Most T-1. Las Vegas, NV T-1. Chicago, IL T-1. New York, NY T-1. Cincinnati, OH 5. Houston, TX Playgrounds per Capita Fewest 99. Gilbert, AZ 100. Newark, NJ 101. North Las Vegas, NV 102. Port St. Lucie, FL 103. Hialeah, FL Best City vs. Worst City: 22x Difference Las Vegas, NV vs. Hialeah, FL Attractions Most T-1. New York, NY T-1. Los Angeles, CA T-1. Chicago, IL T-1. Houston, TX T-1. San Diego, CA T-1. San Francisco, CA Attractions Fewest T-177. Moreno Valley, CA T-177. Lewiston, ME 179. West Valley City, UT 180. Fontana, CA 181. South Burlington, VT 182. Pearl City, HI Show More In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Raise a Family Fremont, CA Fremont, CA, is the best place to raise a family in 2025, due largely to economic factors. The city boasts one of the highest median family incomes after adjusting for the cost of living, at close to $130,000, and it has the third-lowest share of families living in poverty as well as the third-lowest share receiving food stamps. In addition, nearly 50% of families in Fremont have children under age 18, one of the highest rates in the country. Fremont is especially good when it comes to children’s education, with a high percentage of public schools rated at least a 7 out of 10 (58.3%), and many summer camp opportunities per capita. Fremont also is a city where residents are able to stay healthy. Only 1.6% of children lack health insurance, the fifth-lowest percentage in the country, and only 1.1% of the population lacks access to healthy food. The city also has the fifth-most parkland acres per capita, allowing for good outdoor exercise opportunities. Overland Park, KS Overland Park, KS, is the second-best place to raise a family in 2025. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 3.4%, along with one of the highest median family incomes, at over $149,000 after adjusting for the cost of living. Overland Park has a very small percentage of families in poverty or receiving food stamps, too. Another area where Overland Park stands out is that it has the second-highest percentage of two-parent families in the country, over 81%. It also has the 10th-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country. To top things off, Overland Park is a good place for children to stay safe, with a low traffic fatality rate and the fifth-best public hospitals in the country. Plano, TX Plano, TX, is the third-best place to raise a family, and it has the tenth-lowest violent crime rate per capita as well as the 29th-lowest property crime rate per capita. This, combined with a low traffic fatality rate, can help children stay safe. In addition, Plano is a great place to be in for children’s education. It has the ninth-highest percentage of schools with a 7+ out of 10 rating, at over 55%, along with the fifth-highest high school graduation rate. Finally, Plano has the fourth-highest share of two parent families and the ninth-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, both of which promote positive social development among children. Ask the Experts Raising a family is a tall order. And with so many important decisions to make, it’s often difficult to determine where to turn for help with family matters. We turned to experts in the fields of family studies, psychology and household finance for tips, insights and a few cautionary tales. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions: To what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city in which they live? How? What are some of the biggest points of concern for families nowadays? How can local officials make their cities more attractive to young families? What should families consider when choosing a place to settle down? What are the most important steps parents can take to help their children grow up healthy? Kelly Campbell Kelly Campbell Ph.D. – Professor of Psychology – California State University, San Bernardino Read More Martine Hackett Martine Hackett Associate Professor of Population Health, Chair – Hofstra University Read More Armon R. Perry Armon R. Perry Ph.D., MSW – Professor and BSW Program Director, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science- University of Louisville Read More Michael McCarty Michael McCarty Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science – Texas Tech University – Texas Tech University Read More David MacPhee David MacPhee Ph.D. – Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Community-University Partnership Director, Colorado State University Prevention Research Center – Colorado State University – College of Health and Human Sciences Read More Rona Milch Novick Rona Milch Novick Ph.D. – Dean, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Raine & Stanley Silverstein Chair in Professional Ethics and Values – Yeshiva University Read More More Experts Methodology In order to determine which cities are most conducive to family life, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across five key dimensions: 1) Family Fun, 2) Health & Safety, 3) Education & Child Care, 4) Affordability and 5) Socio-economics. We evaluated those categories using 45 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for family life. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), we calculated population size using the square root of the population in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities. Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area. Family Fun – Total Points: 20 Playgrounds per Capita**: Full Weight (~1.11 Points) Ice Rinks per Capita**: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Skate Parks per Capita**: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Bike Rental Facilities per Capita**: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Mini Golf Locations per Capita**: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Parkland Acreage per Capita: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Walkability: Full Weight (~1.11 Points) Bike Score: Full Weight (~1.11 Points) Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~1.11 Points) Note: “Attractions” include, for instance, zoos, museums and theaters. Recreation-Friendliness: Double Weight (~2.22 Points) Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking. Sports-Fan-Friendliness: Double Weight (~2.22 Points) Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best Sports Cities” ranking. Ideal Weather: Quadruple Weight (~4.44 Points) Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities With the Best & Worst Weather” ranking. Share of Families with Young Children: Triple Weight (~3.33 Points) Note: “Young children” include the population aged 0 to 18. Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~0.56 Points) Health & Safety – Total Points: 20 Air Quality: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Water Quality: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Limited Access to Healthy Foods: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Share of Uninsured Children: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Note: “Children” include the population aged 0 to 18. Public Hospitals Ranking*: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Infant Mortality Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Pedestrian-Fatality Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Driving Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Violent-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~2.86 Points) Property-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~2.86 Points) Family Homelessness: Full Weight (~1.43 Points) Note: This metric measures the number of homeless people in families per total homeless population. Education & Child Care – Total Points: 20 School-System Quality: Double Weight (~6.15 Points) Note: This metric is based on GreatSchools.org average score. High School Graduation Rate: Half Weight (~1.54 Points) Child-Care Costs*: Half Weight (~1.54 Points) Note: This metric was adjusted for the median family income. Child Day-Care Services per Capita: Full Weight (~3.08 Points) Childcare Workers per Total Number of Children under 14 Years: Full Weight (~3.08 Points) Parental-Leave Policy Score*: Full Weight (~3.08 Points) Note: This metric is based on the report card from Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help Expecting and New Parents. Summer Learning Opportunities per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.54 Points) Affordability – Total Points: 20 Cost of Living: Full Weight (~6.67 Points) Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Cost-of-Living Index. Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~6.67 Points) Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Housing Costs (accounts for both rent and home-sales prices). Wallet Wellness: Full Weight (~6.67 Points) Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Wallet Fitness” ranking. Socio-economics – Total Points: 20 Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Share of Families Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Share of Families Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Debt per Median Earnings: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~2.35 Points) Foreclosure Rate: Half Weight (~1.18 Points) Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of April 28, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Environmental Protection Agency, County Health Rankings, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Council for Community and Economic Research, The Trust for Public Land, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Partnership for Women & Families, TripAdvisor, Walk Score, Chmura Economics & Analytics, TransUnion, Yelp, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, GreatSchools.org, Numbeo, ATTOM, a property data provider – U.S. Foreclosure Market Report and WalletHub research. Supporting Video Files: YouTube – National (for web embedding) YouTube – Fremont, CA (for web embedding) Raw video files (for editing into clips) Questions & Answers Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered. Have a question? Ask the WalletHub community. Ask your Question 0 Upvotes How does seguin, Texas score Reply00 0 Upvotes Where is the worst list Reply00 0 Upvotes Can you provide me with the detailed scoring for Frisco, TX? Reply00 0 Upvotes Where is the worst list? Reply00 0 Upvotes Where does Leesburg, Florida and Wildwood Florida? Rank and over all comparisons to Newport News,Va.Also considering Asheville NC. Reply00 0 Upvotes Do you know how far Lake Havasu City Az. Is on the list? Reply00 0 Upvotes what is the best and safest place to live in Georgia? 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In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Raise a Family

Fremont, CA

Fremont, CA, is the best place to raise a family in 2025, due largely to economic factors. The city boasts one of the highest median family incomes after adjusting for the cost of living, at close to $130,000, and it has the third-lowest share of families living in poverty as well as the third-lowest share receiving food stamps. In addition, nearly 50% of families in Fremont have children under age 18, one of the highest rates in the country.

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