These Are 2022’s Best Cities to Raise a Family, Report Says

Raising a family can be challenging on its own, but your surroundings also play a role—including what city and state you choose to raise your family in. In the past year, 32 percent of people who moved cited being closer to their family as the main reason. Now, a report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, is evaluating the best states to raise a family.

The annual report determined which states were best for families by comparing 180 cities across 46 key indicators of family-friendliness, including school system quality, housing affordability, health care availability and more. The indicators were housed under five key dimensions: family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics. It then ranked the cities based on their overall score.

According to the report, the best city to raise a family in is Fremont, California, rated number one in health and safety and socioeconomics and two in education and child care. In second, Overland Park, Kansas, got top marks for affordability. The top 10 overall remains largely unchanged from 2021, with only South Burlington, Vermont, and Gilbert, Arizona, dropping down to 11 and 13, respectively. In the meantime, San Diego, California, moved up to six along with San Jose, California, to eight.

In other interesting news, this year, the report found that New York City has the most playgrounds per person and Columbia, Maryland, had the highest median annual family income (adjusted for the cost of living) at $123,819. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, takes the cake for the most affordable city, while Aurora, Illinois, is where you’re most likely to find a playdate for your little one, with the highest percentage of families with young kids.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 best cities to raise a family, based on their overall scores.

Top 10 Best Cities to Raise a Family

1. Fremont, California
2. Overland Park, Kansas
3. Irvine, California
4. Plano, Texas
5. Columbia, Maryland
6. San Diego, California
7. Seattle, Washington
8. San Jose, California
9. Madison, Wisconsin
10. Scottsdale, Arizona

For a detailed breakdown of how the cities were scored and to see all 180 cities and their rank, check out the full online report.