With inflation leading some families to move to cities with a low cost of living, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family, as well as expert commentary.
To determine the most family-friendly places in America, 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. Hialeah, FL | |
| 2. Overland Park, KS | 174. Jackson, MS | |
| 3. Plano, TX | 175. San Bernardino, CA | |
| 4. Irvine, CA | 176. Baltimore, MD | |
| 5. South Burlington, VT | 177. Birmingham, AL | |
| 6. Seattle, WA | 178. Newark, NJ | |
| 7. Boise, ID | 179. Gulfport, MS | |
| 8. Gilbert, AZ | 180. Cleveland, OH | |
| 9. Bismarck, ND | 181. Detroit, MI | |
| 10. San Diego, CA | 182. Memphis, TN |
Two South Carolina cities were included in the rankings, as well as Charlotte, NC.
Charleston, SC
-
Overall Rank: 15
-
Total Score: 62.56
-
Family Fun Rank: 30
-
Health & Safety Rank: 63
-
Education & Child Care Rank: 29
-
Affordability Rank: 32
-
Socio-economics Rank: 46
Columbia, SC
-
Overall Rank: 135
-
Total Score: 46.74
-
Family Fun Rank: 25
-
Health & Safety Rank: 118
-
Education & Child Care Rank: 153
-
Affordability Rank: 110
-
Socio-economics Rank: 165
Charlotte, NC
-
Overall Rank: 70
-
Total Score: 54.00
-
Family Fun Rank: 114
-
Health & Safety Rank: 117
-
Education & Child Care Rank: 68
-
Affordability Rank: 41
-
Socio-economics Rank: 81
Best vs. Worst
- Las Vegas has the most playgrounds (per square root of the population), which is 22 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the fewest.
- Warwick, Rhode Island, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), which is 51.3 times fewer than in Oakland, California, the city with the most.
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median family annual income (adjusted for cost of living), which is 3.2 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest.
- Scottsdale, Arizona, has the lowest share of families receiving food stamps, which is 19.7 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest.
- Overland Park, Kansas, has the lowest share of families living in poverty, which is 9.3 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-families/4435
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
