EXCERPTS
Families move often and for varied reasons. In fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.7 times during his or her lifetime, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Moving can be a sign of either opportunity – a new job or long-term wealth accumulation, for instance – or of instability like foreclosure or job loss. The key in either case – whether you’re a newly married couple or a victim of America’s economic transition – is to choose an area conducive to economic prosperity and the overall pursuit of happiness.
With that in mind, WalletHub compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities based on 30 key metrics that take into account essential family dynamics such as the relative cost of housing, the quality of local school and health care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. While obviously not perfect – given the intrinsic value of each city, personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data – our findings will hopefully give prospective movers a sense of which areas offer the greatest opportunity to achieve wallet wellness and, of course, live a long and happy life. You can check out the results, additional insight from experts and our detailed methodology below.
In order to identify the cities that are most conducive to family life, WalletHub compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across five equally weighted key dimensions: 1) Family Activities & Fun; 2) Health & Safety; 3) Education & Child Care; 4) Affordability; and 5) Socioeconomic Environment. We then identified 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights.Data for the metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.
Education & Child Care – Total Weight: 5
- WalletHub’s “Best & Worst School Systems” Ranking: Double Weight
- High School Graduation Rate: Half* Weight
- Day Care Quality: Half* Weight
- Child Care Costs (Adjusted for Median Family Income): Half* Weight
- “Parental Leave Policy” Score: Half* Weight
-reprinted from WalletHub