These are the best cities to raise a family in inflation-weary America
The West is best.
New data has revealed which American cities are the optimal places to raise kids in 2024 as inflation continues to slice through peoples’ savings.
And out of the 182 metropolitan areas analyzed by WalletHub, only four East Coast areas scratched the top 25 — none of which is in the Northeast.
Landing in the top spot: the Northern California town of Fremont.
The San Francisco Bay locale topped the list thanks to high ranks in health, education and socioeconomic factors. Its only drawback is a low ranking for “family fun.”
Neighboring San Jose took seventh place and San Francisco 12th in the study, which looked at 45 different metrics on quality of life — including subjects like housing costs, schools, hospitals and recreation.
In the southern area of the Golden State, Irvine was third while San Diego enjoyed the eighth spot and Huntington Beach dropped in at 10th place.
Second overall and the most affordable on the list is Overland Park, Kansas — a Kansas City, Missouri, suburb about 13 miles south. It is followed by Irvine, California, which has the best health and safety numbers, then by Plano, Texas, in the fourth spot, and Seattle, Washington, in fifth.
The best in the eastern US are Charleston, South Carolina, at 14 and Virginia Beach at 18.
In the Washington DC, area, Columbia, Maryland, is 21, and Chesapeake, Virginia, is No. 23.
In the Northeast, New England enjoyed the highest rankings with Warwick, Rhode Island, at 27, immediately followed by Portland, Maine, at 28 and Nashua, New Hampshire, at 31.
Boston is exactly 50 slots behind at 81.
Nearer to NYC, Jersey City, New Jersey, landed at No. 52 with New York City checking in at a measly 73. The Big Apple was crushed on affordability and socioeconomic stats.
Nearby Yonkers in Westchester took 81 for similar reasons.
At the tail end of the list, Memphis, Tennessee, came in at No. 182. Rounding out the bottom are Detroit, Michigan (181), Cleveland, Ohio (180), NYC neighbor Newark, New Jersey (179), and Gulfport, Mississippi, and San Bernardino, California, tied in 177th place.
Top 10 cities for families
- Fremont, California
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Irvine, California
- Plano, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
- Gilbert, Arizona
- San Jose, California
- San Diego, California
- Boise, Idaho
- Huntington Beach, California
