(WalletHub) Families move often – in fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 12 times in a lifetime. Plus, around 25.6 million Americans, or 7.8% of the population, moved in 2023. Moving can be a sign of opportunity, prompted by a new job or long-term wealth accumulation, but people may also move because of instability such as foreclosure or job loss.
With families in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 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 not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a better sense of their options.
Top 5 Places to Raise a Family in 2024
- Fremont, CA
- Overland Park, KS
- Irvine, CA
- Plano, TX
- Seattle, WA
“Finding the best place to raise a family is difficult, between balancing an affordable cost of living with good educational opportunities, safety and enough recreation to keep kids entertained. On top of all of these factors, people also often want to raise their children close to their extended family. Therefore, current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive of their family.”
CASSANDRA HAPPE, WALLETHUB ANALYST
