With 30% of Americans who moved last year citing “family reasons” as their motivation, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to help people find the best place to put down roots.
WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 45 key metrics. The data set ranges from housing affordability to school-system quality to the unemployment rate.
| 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. New Orleans, LA | |
| 4. Plano, TX | 176. Birmingham, AL | |
| 5. Seattle, WA | T-177. San Bernardino, CA | |
| 6. Gilbert, AZ | T-177. Gulfport, MS | |
| 7. San Jose, CA | 179. Newark, NJ | |
| 8. San Diego, CA | 180. Cleveland, OH | |
| 9. Boise, ID | 181. Detroit, MI | |
| 10. Huntington Beach, CA | 182. Memphis, TN |
Best vs. Worst
- New York has the most playgrounds (per square root of the population), which is 13.1 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the fewest.
- Irvine, California, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), which is 32.3 times fewer than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the most.
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median family annual income (adjusted for cost of living), which is 3.3 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest.
- Overland Park, Kansas, has the lowest share of families receiving food stamps, which is 25.8 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest.
- Pearl City, Hawaii, has the lowest share of families living in poverty, which is 12.2 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest.
