Homebuyers

Best Places for Kids: The 10 Most Family-Friendly Cities in 2026

June 3, 2026

Finding the right place to raise a family has become an increasingly complex equation. Parents often need to weigh factors such as school quality and housing costs with a strong, local economy when deciding where to live.

This year, one Northern California city once again claimed the top spot as the best place to raise a family, according to personal-finance company WalletHub. The winner, Fremont, Calif., earned especially high marks for its economic strength, schools, and access to healthy amenities for children.

“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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement.

WalletHub found that Fremont stood out largely because of its finances. The city boasts one of the nation’s highest median family incomes after adjusting for cost of living, at more than $137,000. Fremont also has the second-lowest share of families living in poverty, according to the report.

Plus, nearly half of local families have children under age 18, one of the highest shares nationwide.

The city also performed particularly well in children’s education and well-being. More than 70% of Fremont’s public schools are rated at least 7 out of 10, according to WalletHub’s analysis.

“People also often want to raise their children close to their extended family,” said Lupo. “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.”

To determine its rankings, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 metrics, ranging from housing affordability and school-system quality to unemployment rates and access to recreation. The data was grouped into categories including affordability, socioeconomics, health and safety, education and childcare, and family fun.

The rest of the top cities for parents also scored highly for family-focused factors, though for different reasons.

The second-best place for families was Overland Park, Kan., according to WalletHub. It stood out for its economic stability. The city had one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates at 3.2%. It also boasted one of the highest median family incomes after adjusting for cost of living, at nearly $135,000, according to WalletHub.

The third top spot went to Irvine, Calif., which scored especially high for safety and education. The city has the second-lowest violent crime rate per capita and among the lowest property crime rates, according to the report.

Irvine also had one of the country’s highest high school graduation rates.

“A child’s development and a family’s quality of life are impacted by the city they live in,” Armon Perry, a professor of social work and family science at the University of Louisville, said in a statement. “Families that I encounter are concerned with things such as the viability of the local economy, the quality and reputation of the public school system, the amount and proximity to green space, the availability of fresh food.”