The Worst and Best Cities in the US To Raise A Family in 2025

May 28, 2025

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As rising inflation drives families to seek more affordable cities, the personal finance site WalletHub has released its annual report ranking the best and worst places to raise a family in 2025, alongside insights from financial experts.

The report evaluates over 180 U.S. cities using 45 key indicators of family friendliness, including factors like housing affordability, quality of local schools, and employment rates.

Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub said, “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.”

According to the report, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.7 times in a lifetime.