Are you thinking about moving? If so, you’ve come to the right place. There’s a lot to consider when you’re looking for a great place to live, especially if you have a family.
When you’re thinking about the best place to take your family, you probably want to keep in mind a number of factors.
According to the United States Census, Americans are moving towards more major cities, and away from the country. Why is that? Are we ever going to see a dividing line between the suburbs and downtowns?
And will we see ‘the best’ places to live remain suburbs, or will the best places to live get pushed out to the country one day?
So, where are the best cities for families in America? You may be surprised by the results. And, odds are, you won’t be able to afford to move there, either.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The 7th best place to raise a family in America is Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. Overland Park is also one of the most affordable places you can live in the country – at least for now. The schools here are like off the charts good, and families here all thrive. Divorce rates are super low, and everyone has a good job if they want one.
There’s a lot to do downtown, there’s farmers, concerts, events and parks all over the place. There’s a real sense of community here in Overland Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is the United States’s statewide median.
the United States statewide median: $80,734
On the map
Where the best cities for families in America are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in America anyway?
To determine which American cities are the best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. We’d all agree that safety, good schools, low crime, and good jobs are all family-friendly factors. We included those, as well as several other factors.
Using Saturday Night Science, we looked at U.S. Census data for every place in the U.S. over 100,000 people. We paid particular attention to:
We then gave each city a Family Score that is a blended average of each of the above criteria.
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
The higher the score, the better the city is for families.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best cities to raise a family in America.
The full list
Best Cities To Raise A Family In America For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worcester, MA | 207,055 | $70,102 | $430,112 | 29.1% |
| 2 | Concord, NC | 108,719 | $86,921 | $382,592 | 38.9% |
| 3 | Savannah, GA | 147,898 | $57,137 | $326,509 | 24.1% |
| 4 | Dearborn, MI | 107,423 | $65,324 | $245,068 | 35.2% |
| 5 | Yuma, AZ | 100,139 | $65,482 | $301,508 | 36.5% |
| 6 | Olathe, KS | 145,057 | $114,009 | $433,117 | 38.2% |
| 7 | Overland Park, KS | 200,306 | $104,834 | $482,295 | 28.7% |
| 8 | Brockton, MA | 105,386 | $80,115 | $503,833 | 38.9% |
| 9 | Green Bay, WI | 106,253 | $66,206 | $278,024 | 28.9% |
| 10 | San Mateo, CA | 103,105 | $153,504 | $1,686,905 | 27.7% |
| 11 | Carmel, IN | 101,651 | $141,505 | $563,458 | 35.7% |
| 12 | Santa Ana, CA | 312,534 | $93,999 | $866,066 | 42.1% |
| 13 | Cambridge, MA | 118,796 | $130,748 | $1,041,569 | 17.7% |
| 14 | Tampa, FL | 401,618 | $75,475 | $374,888 | 24.8% |
| 15 | Fort Wayne, IN | 268,589 | $61,422 | $242,385 | 29.3% |
| 16 | Naperville, IL | 150,692 | $155,105 | $610,454 | 38.0% |
| 17 | Virginia Beach, VA | 456,349 | $92,968 | $427,032 | 31.5% |
| 18 | Torrance, CA | 142,130 | $116,217 | $1,124,932 | 29.2% |
| 19 | Hartford, CT | 121,127 | $46,411 | $198,965 | 31.7% |
| 20 | El Cajon, CA | 104,449 | $67,511 | $816,317 | 37.6% |
| 21 | Jurupa Valley, CA | 107,011 | $97,550 | $672,514 | 43.7% |
| 22 | Ann Arbor, MI | 122,036 | $82,212 | $523,391 | 17.1% |
| 23 | Pasadena, CA | 136,969 | $105,192 | $1,209,228 | 22.2% |
| 24 | Laredo, TX | 257,619 | $63,915 | $220,331 | 48.4% |
| 25 | Fullerton, CA | 140,968 | $104,286 | $1,050,945 | 32.2% |
| 26 | Bend, OR | 103,390 | $96,394 | $732,650 | 26.9% |
| 27 | Sioux Falls, SD | 201,469 | $75,970 | $329,723 | 29.3% |
| 28 | Santa Clarita, CA | 230,221 | $123,062 | $802,016 | 37.4% |
| 29 | Thousand Oaks, CA | 125,205 | $135,603 | $1,049,634 | 28.3% |
| 30 | Simi Valley, CA | 125,634 | $122,081 | $844,909 | 30.6% |
| 31 | Conroe, TX | 102,360 | $76,206 | $313,986 | 33.8% |
| 32 | Montgomery, AL | 197,494 | $56,811 | $151,228 | 30.5% |
| 33 | Ontario, CA | 180,547 | $88,941 | $672,742 | 41.8% |
| 34 | West Jordan, UT | 116,692 | $108,153 | $561,836 | 43.3% |
| 35 | Cary, NC | 179,306 | $134,905 | $626,396 | 34.8% |
| 36 | Boca Raton, FL | 100,234 | $106,273 | $562,566 | 21.4% |
| 37 | Clovis, CA | 124,725 | $99,241 | $521,708 | 40.6% |
| 38 | Mobile, AL | 203,416 | $53,558 | $194,564 | 26.6% |
| 39 | Nampa, ID | 110,319 | $74,279 | $412,277 | 36.6% |
| 40 | Boston, MA | 666,442 | $97,344 | $798,217 | 19.8% |
| 41 | Rio Rancho, NM | 108,515 | $89,596 | $361,856 | 33.8% |
| 42 | Boulder, CO | 106,433 | $87,493 | $964,531 | 17.0% |
| 43 | Scottsdale, AZ | 243,821 | $110,886 | $858,022 | 16.8% |
| 44 | Elk Grove, CA | 179,155 | $125,924 | $637,450 | 43.1% |
| 45 | New Bedford, MA | 100,998 | $56,981 | $434,262 | 30.9% |
| 46 | Paterson, NJ | 158,735 | $55,997 | $528,882 | 44.0% |
| 47 | Lynn, MA | 101,709 | $75,043 | $580,316 | 36.5% |
| 48 | Roseville, CA | 155,955 | $119,288 | $644,324 | 33.2% |
| 49 | St. George, UT | 101,995 | $76,508 | $519,370 | 32.2% |
| 50 | Allentown, PA | 125,976 | $55,494 | $309,699 | 32.4% |
| 51 | Yonkers, NY | 209,978 | $83,549 | $680,218 | 29.0% |
| 52 | El Paso, TX | 680,130 | $59,745 | $234,775 | 35.9% |
| 53 | Omaha, NE | 488,837 | $73,201 | $294,189 | 28.8% |
| 54 | Peoria, AZ | 196,906 | $95,815 | $488,596 | 31.1% |
| 55 | Chesapeake, VA | 252,583 | $95,373 | $420,756 | 35.7% |
| 56 | Santa Maria, CA | 110,462 | $84,746 | $658,011 | 47.0% |
| 57 | Abilene, TX | 128,053 | $62,648 | $210,016 | 31.9% |
| 58 | Corona, CA | 159,670 | $109,242 | $764,386 | 38.4% |
| 59 | Murrieta, CA | 112,064 | $114,081 | $688,358 | 40.5% |
| 60 | Edinburg, TX | 104,550 | $59,466 | $217,345 | 38.2% |
| 61 | Waco, TX | 143,570 | $54,365 | $194,245 | 29.2% |
| 62 | Joliet, IL | 150,445 | $92,201 | $259,875 | 39.6% |
| 63 | Mckinney, TX | 210,600 | $124,215 | $481,963 | 41.7% |
| 64 | High Point, NC | 116,245 | $64,561 | $249,821 | 29.2% |
| 65 | Richardson, TX | 118,731 | $98,111 | $440,400 | 27.9% |
| 66 | Berkeley, CA | 120,257 | $108,092 | $1,443,684 | 18.9% |
| 67 | Irvine, CA | 311,690 | $136,719 | $1,557,982 | 33.6% |
| 68 | Cincinnati, OH | 311,224 | $52,909 | $249,568 | 22.4% |
| 69 | Visalia, CA | 143,939 | $81,989 | $396,184 | 41.1% |
| 70 | Chula Vista, CA | 276,375 | $108,032 | $846,372 | 41.8% |
| 71 | Pearland, TX | 127,514 | $118,842 | $382,157 | 40.7% |
| 72 | Greeley, CO | 110,806 | $69,881 | $420,464 | 34.6% |
| 73 | Carlsbad, CA | 114,373 | $142,748 | $1,370,649 | 30.3% |
| 74 | Garland, TX | 246,844 | $76,320 | $286,805 | 36.5% |
| 75 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 175,411 | $111,895 | $792,765 | 33.8% |
| 76 | Salinas, CA | 161,761 | $91,908 | $747,758 | 46.6% |
| 77 | Bakersfield, CA | 411,986 | $80,540 | $396,047 | 43.1% |
| 78 | New Braunfels, TX | 104,643 | $86,021 | $350,104 | 32.1% |
| 79 | Escondido, CA | 149,668 | $91,967 | $844,072 | 34.8% |
| 80 | Midland, TX | 136,640 | $89,585 | $328,325 | 40.3% |
| 81 | Plano, TX | 290,594 | $112,253 | $498,989 | 32.2% |
| 82 | Oxnard, CA | 200,928 | $96,212 | $767,291 | 43.3% |
| 83 | Norman, OK | 129,672 | $67,704 | $262,839 | 25.0% |
| 84 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 137,264 | $70,424 | $204,112 | 26.7% |
| 85 | Little Rock, AR | 203,436 | $63,003 | $216,519 | 28.0% |
| 86 | Hayward, CA | 158,801 | $113,318 | $848,427 | 34.6% |
| 87 | Tacoma, WA | 222,758 | $85,884 | $493,840 | 27.2% |
| 88 | Irving, TX | 256,492 | $81,830 | $341,503 | 36.1% |
| 89 | Gilbert, AZ | 280,262 | $122,551 | $572,507 | 41.3% |
| 90 | Sugar Land, TX | 110,016 | $136,217 | $447,176 | 37.1% |
| 91 | Newport News, VA | 184,216 | $69,634 | $290,660 | 28.8% |
| 92 | Broken Arrow, OK | 118,180 | $86,765 | $286,846 | 34.6% |
| 93 | Provo, UT | 114,766 | $64,171 | $484,203 | 29.6% |
| 94 | Reno, NV | 273,212 | $80,760 | $567,857 | 26.2% |
| 95 | Moreno Valley, CA | 211,666 | $93,222 | $551,284 | 48.3% |
| 96 | Surprise, AZ | 154,948 | $96,711 | $422,473 | 32.3% |
| 97 | West Palm Beach, FL | 122,290 | $73,446 | $399,471 | 23.2% |
| 98 | Pittsburgh, PA | 304,759 | $65,742 | $237,533 | 17.6% |
| 99 | Fresno, CA | 545,970 | $70,991 | $391,328 | 37.7% |
| 100 | Modesto, CA | 219,215 | $79,891 | $446,494 | 37.1% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. The 202 largest US cities.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In The United States
If you’re looking for a breakdown of American cities ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best cities for families in the United States are Worcester, MA, Concord, NC, Savannah, GA, Dearborn, MI, Yuma, AZ, Olathe, KS, Overland Park, KS, Brockton, MA, Green Bay, WI, and San Mateo, CA.
Questions and answers
Best Cities To Raise A Family FAQs
What is the best city to raise a family in America?
Worcester, MA is the best city to raise a family in America for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Concord and Savannah round out the top three.
What are the best cities for families in the US?
The best big cities for families are Worcester, MA, Concord, NC, Savannah, GA, Dearborn, MI, Yuma, AZ, Olathe, KS, Overland Park, KS, Brockton, MA, Green Bay, WI, and San Mateo, CA. We ranked the 202 largest US cities on family-friendly criteria.
How do you rank family-friendly cities?
Family-friendliness blends low crime, good schools, the share of households with kids, and nearby amenities. The city that balances all of it best, Worcester, takes the top spot.
Is Worcester affordable for families?
The median home in Worcester costs $430,112 against a median household income of $70,102. Nationwide, the median home runs $332,700, so do that math before you pack the minivan.
What is the toughest big city to raise a family?
North Charleston, SC lands at the bottom of the family ranking. Families make it work there every day — the crime, school, and cost numbers just stack against it.
