Fremont, Calif., is the best U.S. city to raise a family in 2026, according to a May 26 ranking from personal finance website WalletHub.
To create the ranking, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the most populous and at least two of the most populous cities in each state — based on 45 metrics in categories such as family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics.
Metrics included pediatricians per capita, share of uninsured children, public hospital rankings, infant mortality rate, childcare costs, cost of living and housing affordability. The ranking was created by determining each city’s weighted average across all metrics.
Here are the 10 best and worst cities to raise a family, per WalletHub:
10 best
1. Fremont, Calif.
2. Overland Park, Kan.
3. Irvine, Calif.
4. Plano, Texas
5. Columbia, Md.
6. Bismarck, N.D.
7. South Burlington, Vt.
8. Charleston, S.C.
9. Seattle
10. Boise, Idaho
10 worst
173. Hialeah, Fla.
174. Birmingham, Ala.
175. Shreveport, La.
176. Jackson, Miss.
177. Newark, N.J.
178. Baltimore
179. Gulfport, Miss.
180. Cleveland
181. Memphis, Tenn.
182. Detroit
