Posted by: John S Kiernan

Families move often and for various reasons. In fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.4 times during his or her lifetime. Moving can be a sign of opportunity, such as a new job or long-term wealth accumulation. But also move because of instability such as foreclosure or job loss. The key in either case is to choose an area that’s both economically prosperous and a pleasant place to live.

With that in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 46 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 obviously not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a sense of the areas that offer the greatest opportunity to achieve Wallet Fitness and live a long and happy life. Read on for the results, additional insight from experts and a detailed description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/4435/geochart-families.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2CmX1xU>  

Best Places to Raise a Family

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Family Fun’ Rank	‘Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Education & Child Care’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socio-economics’ Rank
1	Overland Park, KS	72.88	94	12	8	2	6
2	Irvine, CA	70.74	28	3	3	49	4
3	Fremont, CA	70.71	81	1	2	47	1
4	South Burlington, VT	70.41	181	5	1	33	7
5	Bismarck, ND	68.73	145	17	12	1	11
6	Plano, TX	68.17	127	4	46	5	2
7	Fargo, ND	66.73	102	25	9	19	33
8	Sioux Falls, SD	65.92	153	20	15	6	51
9	Huntington Beach, CA	65.76	90	9	6	77	8
10	Gilbert, AZ	65.32	64	13	63	9	13
11	Columbia, MD	65.27	67	50	56	3	30
12	Lincoln, NE	64.89	73	24	29	11	40
13	Madison, WI	64.52	70	42	44	7	23
14	Scottsdale, AZ	64.38	50	32	81	15	10
15	Seattle, WA	63.44	47	37	25	27	59
16	San Jose, CA	63.32	45	8	13	86	12
17	Boise, ID	63.26	17	18	169	8	55
18	Cedar Rapids, IA	63.23	143	49	70	4	34
19	Chandler, AZ	63.21	58	47	93	10	14
20	Peoria, AZ	62.31	49	56	104	16	46
21	Juneau, AK	62.20	180	83	20	24	3
22	Casper, WY	62.11	66	60	45	38	20
23	Burlington, VT	62.09	154	2	7	50	77
24	San Diego, CA	61.57	8	27	19	103	57
25	Omaha, NE	61.47	71	52	23	30	83
26	Charleston, SC	61.45	38	30	84	29	76
27	Warwick, RI	61.02	182	22	37	13	21
28	Cheyenne, WY	61.00	121	102	60	17	38
29	Nashua, NH	60.96	165	40	65	23	18
30	Colorado Springs, CO	60.57	30	66	134	22	48
31	Virginia Beach, VA	60.50	155	6	54	28	26
32	Billings, MT	60.44	140	108	14	31	53
33	Austin, TX	59.65	106	74	36	21	97
34	Minneapolis, MN	59.60	16	121	69	14	141
35	Pembroke Pines, FL	59.50	103	44	27	90	15
36	San Francisco, CA	59.40	39	19	10	127	86
37	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	59.21	61	63	43	98	9
38	Missoula, MT	59.09	105	136	4	67	81
39	Pearl City, HI	58.77	177	65	5	97	5
40	Santa Rosa, CA	58.57	54	10	35	125	56
41	Sacramento, CA	58.49	3	45	61	75	133
42	Salt Lake City, UT	58.48	41	143	115	32	36
43	Aurora, IL	58.34	99	16	52	84	63
44	Lexington-Fayette, KY	58.14	129	95	32	26	92
45	Santa Clarita, CA	58.07	98	26	17	122	52
46	St. Paul, MN	57.70	87	57	64	35	109
47	Portland, OR	57.53	53	89	16	74	110
48	Raleigh, NC	57.50	136	76	71	12	95
49	Chesapeake, VA	57.46	161	15	107	34	49
50	Henderson, NV	57.40	56	21	116	89	29
51	Chula Vista, CA	57.06	95	11	11	154	24
52	Columbus, OH	56.95	65	85	99	37	99
53	Portland, ME	56.92	158	29	21	65	114
54	Rapid City, SD	56.90	108	109	85	45	42
55	Grand Prairie, TX	56.81	37	62	109	94	41
56	Lewiston, ME	56.73	149	7	51	78	64
57	Oklahoma City, OK	56.64	51	145	88	48	44
58	Pittsburgh, PA	56.45	68	98	55	41	136
59	Honolulu, HI	56.27	89	31	22	143	16
60	Amarillo, TX	56.26	82	127	142	44	39
61	Louisville, KY	56.14	141	68	89	36	72
62	Denver, CO	56.02	33	54	140	52	130
63	Durham, NC	55.76	159	75	80	18	94
64	Spokane, WA	55.76	74	90	82	51	121
65	Charlotte, NC	55.69	130	111	58	42	74
66	Anchorage, AK	55.52	146	141	34	53	37
67	Des Moines, IA	55.50	124	114	97	25	125
68	Huntsville, AL	54.96	86	119	158	40	75
69	Salem, OR	54.45	137	41	66	93	67
70	Modesto, CA	54.42	10	156	95	96	50
71	Tampa, FL	54.25	4	99	117	87	148
72	Nashville, TN	53.94	122	122	139	39	65
73	Garden Grove, CA	53.79	24	38	30	172	19
74	Orlando, FL	53.70	5	138	131	79	131
75	Oceanside, CA	53.27	109	34	42	164	28
76	Reno, NV	53.18	25	116	96	118	73
77	Mesa, AZ	53.09	101	86	167	66	45
78	Kansas City, MO	53.06	59	161	79	54	127
79	Washington, DC	53.01	63	113	28	68	171
80	Jersey City, NJ	52.98	156	14	39	129	88
81	Tempe, AZ	52.91	34	123	165	73	90
82	Yonkers, NY	52.91	179	33	24	130	98
83	Fort Worth, TX	52.83	52	112	132	95	80
84	Bakersfield, CA	52.72	27	150	113	106	69
85	St. Petersburg, FL	52.64	92	128	122	59	84
86	Cape Coral, FL	52.62	151	59	101	110	54
87	Buffalo, NY	52.49	84	104	40	69	168
88	Manchester, NH	52.47	171	70	137	60	66
89	Vancouver, WA	52.45	144	48	47	128	101
90	Charleston, WV	52.43	178	175	112	20	93
91	West Valley City, UT	52.31	26	133	164	92	62
92	Las Vegas, NV	52.31	2	55	179	132	123
93	Glendale, CA	52.10	60	36	31	175	17
94	Jacksonville, FL	52.08	114	142	90	55	113
95	Chicago, IL	51.84	21	81	78	134	153
96	Oxnard, CA	51.74	19	23	83	171	61
97	Arlington, TX	51.71	111	106	110	104	60
98	Anaheim, CA	51.69	46	28	53	174	25
99	Grand Rapids, MI	51.69	164	43	172	61	106
100	Cincinnati, OH	51.68	31	120	102	64	173
101	Fontana, CA	51.47	18	110	127	157	32
102	Dover, DE	51.45	172	77	92	62	137
103	Tallahassee, FL	51.37	119	132	74	76	139
104	Little Rock, AR	51.36	173	173	72	46	105
105	Tulsa, OK	51.27	44	177	141	57	107
106	Phoenix, AZ	51.21	7	148	175	83	147
107	Chattanooga, TN	51.06	157	129	123	58	96
108	Fort Wayne, IN	50.99	174	103	153	43	79
109	Tacoma, WA	50.95	169	154	50	56	138
110	Albuquerque, NM	50.89	22	176	154	72	117
111	New York, NY	50.81	6	35	18	180	122
112	Garland, TX	50.74	125	107	119	117	43
113	Greensboro, NC	50.72	120	131	49	99	112
114	El Paso, TX	50.50	35	91	152	145	91
115	Los Angeles, CA	50.49	1	67	87	177	128
116	Riverside, CA	50.45	79	101	114	152	35
117	Fort Smith, AR	50.42	78	155	76	120	87
118	Irving, TX	50.28	170	72	160	112	22
119	Nampa, ID	50.08	12	64	182	119	89
120	Brownsville, TX	50.06	62	100	33	166	119
121	Oakland, CA	49.98	117	92	26	159	115
122	Long Beach, CA	49.92	13	46	57	176	78
123	Knoxville, TN	49.84	138	147	111	80	129
124	Atlanta, GA	49.84	15	169	147	81	163
125	San Antonio, TX	49.83	80	149	151	108	82
126	Columbia, SC	49.67	23	130	178	63	162
127	Port St. Lucie, FL	49.63	176	96	173	101	27
128	Lubbock, TX	49.53	126	151	155	82	71
129	Huntington, WV	49.44	131	94	161	71	140
130	Glendale, AZ	49.42	40	134	171	109	124
131	Aurora, CO	49.37	167	69	126	100	85
132	Las Cruces, NM	49.31	11	172	125	126	116
133	Boston, MA	49.26	83	53	106	133	157
134	Moreno Valley, CA	49.17	29	88	145	165	70
135	New Haven, CT	48.72	55	97	77	136	165
136	Philadelphia, PA	48.65	20	82	120	146	170
137	Worcester, MA	48.51	162	118	129	88	143
138	Newport News, VA	48.46	148	78	168	115	100
139	Ontario, CA	48.40	36	117	143	169	31
140	Fresno, CA	48.32	43	71	121	162	145
141	Stockton, CA	48.28	32	166	108	147	118
142	Tucson, AZ	48.26	9	139	176	138	135
143	Dallas, TX	48.13	76	84	128	144	144
144	Baton Rouge, LA	48.00	134	137	94	85	158
145	Wichita, KS	47.87	168	162	170	70	58
146	Springfield, MO	47.81	107	174	98	116	102
147	Indianapolis, IN	47.71	135	168	135	91	103
T-148	Winston-Salem, NC	47.71	100	140	130	107	132
T-148	Akron, OH	47.71	150	58	148	124	161
150	Houston, TX	47.33	75	146	150	123	146
151	Corpus Christi, TX	47.30	152	170	144	102	68
152	Fayetteville, NC	47.04	116	160	86	142	108
153	Columbus, GA	46.92	91	152	133	135	126
154	Rochester, NY	46.84	123	87	41	131	179
155	North Las Vegas, NV	46.80	42	105	180	150	104
156	Laredo, TX	46.72	69	163	118	148	111
157	Santa Ana, CA	46.68	72	51	67	179	47
158	Montgomery, AL	46.48	115	144	136	121	149
159	Providence, RI	46.13	93	79	75	161	160
160	New Orleans, LA	45.87	57	124	103	167	152
161	Milwaukee, WI	45.65	85	125	100	153	164
162	Richmond, VA	45.23	147	80	124	113	169
163	Mobile, AL	45.14	118	159	138	137	142
164	Bridgeport, CT	44.66	139	61	38	170	172
165	Toledo, OH	44.21	112	171	157	111	167
166	Norfolk, VA	44.20	133	73	174	160	134
167	Jackson, MS	44.13	88	157	59	158	176
168	Gulfport, MS	44.09	132	167	91	156	151
169	Fort Lauderdale, FL	44.08	160	164	105	155	120
170	St. Louis, MO	42.34	96	182	149	105	166
171	Shreveport, LA	42.20	113	179	159	141	155
172	Augusta, GA	42.07	128	135	177	149	150
173	Wilmington, DE	41.70	97	180	48	139	180
174	Birmingham, AL	41.54	110	115	166	151	175
175	Memphis, TN	40.79	166	181	156	114	154
176	San Bernardino, CA	40.71	14	178	163	173	156
177	Baltimore, MD	40.55	142	165	146	140	177
178	Hialeah, FL	40.19	175	39	68	181	159
179	Cleveland, OH	39.22	77	153	162	163	181
180	Miami, FL	39.13	104	93	73	182	174
181	Detroit, MI	37.48	48	158	181	168	182
182	Newark, NJ	37.16	163	126	62	178	178

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:

1. To what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? How?
2. What advice do you have for young families looking to start their lives together on the right foot financially?
3. How can local officials make their cities more attractive to young families?
4. What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?
5. In evaluating the best cities for families, what are the top five indicators?

< >

• Michelle Bemiller Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Walsh University
• Joseph D. Sclafani Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, The University of Tampa
• Huberta Jackson-Lowman Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Florida A&M University
• Mitzi J. Ziegner M.Ed., Associate Chair, Director, GPIDEA Early Childhood Online Program, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University
• Aruna Jha Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Wisconsin at Whitewater

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 46 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)
• 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 17.
• 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 17.
• 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 (Number of Homeless People in Families per Total Homeless Population): Full Weight (~1.43 Points)

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)
• Day-Care Quality*: 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.

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 WalletFitness™” ranking.

Socio-economics – Total Points: 20

• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Share of Families Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Share of Families Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Debt per Median Earnings: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Half Weight (~1.05 Points)
• “Social Ties” Ranking: Full Weight (~2.11 Points)

 Videos for News Use:

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• Raw files (for editing into clips)

 Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Child Care Aware of America, 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, Sharecare, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Partnership for Women & Families, TripAdvisor, Walk Score, Renwood RealtyTrac, Chmura Economics & Analytics, TransUnion, Yelp, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, GreatSchools.org and WalletHub research.

Image: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

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