With nearly 32% of people who moved last year citing being closer to family as the main reason, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022's Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
To determine the most family-friendly places in America, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 46 key metrics. The data set ranges from housing affordability to school-system quality to the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated.
| Best Cities for Families | Worst Cities for Families |
| 1. Fremont, CA | 173. Augusta, GA |
| 2. Overland Park, KS | 174. Jackson, MS |
| 3. Irvine, CA | 175. Shreveport, LA |
| 4. Plano, TX | 176. Fayetteville, NC |
| 5. Columbia, MD | 177. Newark, NJ |
| 6. San Diego, CA | 178. San Bernardino, CA |
| 7. Seattle, WA | 179. Birmingham, AL |
| 8. San Jose, CA | 180. Memphis, TN |
| 9. Madison, WI | 181. Cleveland, OH |
| 10. Scottsdale, AZ | 182. Detroit, MI |
Best vs. Worst
- New York has the most playgrounds (per square root of the population), 0.666034, which is 13.4 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the fewest at 0.049627.
- Irvine, California, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), 0.51, which is 46.1 times fewer than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the most at 23.52.
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median family annual income (adjusted for cost of living), $123,819, which is 3.4 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at $36,758.
- Overland Park, Kansas, has the lowest share of families receiving food stamps, 2.03 percent, which is 20.6 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 41.73 percent.
- South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest share of families living in poverty, 2.50 percent, which is eleven times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 27.60 percent.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
More from WalletHub
- Best & Worst States to Raise a Family
- Best & Worst States to Have a Baby
- Best & Worst States for Working Moms
- Best & Worst States for Working Dads
Expert Commentary
To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? How?
“Where someone grows up will affect not only their quality of life but also their life-long health and achievement. The ability of children to feel safe in their own homes is important for their mental development and growth. Increased availability of community resources and services can improve the quality of life for residents. Cities with greater financial strength are often better able to provide these enhancements, which have been associated with continued disparities in educational or occupational achievement between wealthy locales and those with fewer resources.”
Derek Gwinn – Director of Relationship Education, Center for Healthy Relationships; Assistant Professor, John Brown University
“Data suggest that where you live makes a tremendous difference in children’s well-being and long-term social and economic mobility…In general, from much prior research, we know that all children (across race, ethnicity, and SES strata) who live in neighborhoods/cities/counties that are more integrated, have lower poverty rates, have more affordable housing, have better schools (greater state-level investment), have less regressive tax schemes (more reliance on progressive income taxes, less reliance on sales taxes, and presence of refundable earned income tax credits), have more affordable child care, and better public transportation have better short and longer-term health, developmental, and educational outcomes.”
Lenna Nepomnyaschy – Associate Professor, Rutgers
How can local officials make their cities more attractive to young families?
“I would put affordable housing and safety at the top of the list but I will also add that opportunities for recreation, good schools, easy access to healthy food, and health care are critical community resources. Many also seek diverse communities where acceptance of rich cultural backgrounds is the norm.”
Allison Karpyn, Ph.D. – Co-Director, Center for Research Education and Social Policy (CRESP); Associate Professor, University of Delaware
“City officials can foster a greater sense of belonging for their residents by developing strong neighborhood programs (e.g., senior centers, mommy-and-me programs, recreational sports, and activity programs, after-school clubs, etc.) as well as organizing community events. This can help facilitate greater community engagement and involvement, which can help with the development of social capital and opportunities that can benefit everyone.”
Madhavi Menon, Ph.D. – Professor, Nova Southeastern University
What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?
“There are…so many things that matter, such as availability of stable, well-paying jobs, access to extended family, and policy-related issues, including housing affordability, child care affordability, good quality schools, and accessible quality health care for both children and parents.”
Lenna Nepomnyaschy – Associate Professor, Rutgers
“It is important to be aware of how far a new location might be from family and friends. Separation from loved ones can be frustrating if a family is not prepared for it. Also, it is important to look for community groups with which the family can connect. It could be a church, synagogue, or mosque. It might be community organizations related to ones they have already engaged. These types of connections help families feel connected to their new locale when they have stretched their connections to their older friendships and family.”
Derek Gwinn – Director of Relationship Education, Center for Healthy Relationships; Assistant Professor, John Brown University
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