Fremont A Best City To Raise A Family In U.S.: WalletHub

FREMONT, CA — Fremont is the second-best place to raise a family in the United States, personal finance website WalletHub reported Tuesday.

WalletHub compared 182 cities across the United States, measuring each city’s performance in five areas that affect family dynamics: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socioeconomics.

The study included the 150 most populated U.S. cities and two of the most populated cities in each state: Los Angeles and San Diego in California’s case.

Fremont earned 71.37 points out of a possible 100, ranking it just behind Overland Park, Kansas, at 72.48 points.

Fremont came in second overall but had the lowest share of families living in poverty and claimed the top ranking for socioeconomic conditions. The percentage of Fremont families living in poverty was just 2.7 percent, 11.1 times lower than Detroit’s, the city with the highest percentage.

“The average American can expect to move an estimated 11.4 times in a lifetime,” WalletHub Managing Editor John Kiernan wrote. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, families will likely be looking for cities that provide the most safety and have the lowest unemployment rates.”

WalletHub’s study rated Fremont as the best place in California to raise a family. The Bay Area city’s overall second place ranking compared with Irvine in third place, Huntington Beach in 12th place, San Diego in 13th, San Jose in 14th and San Francisco in 17th.

According to Fremont’s 2011 general plan, the city operates more than 50 parks—one metric in the study’s family fun category — including Central Park, which overlooks Lake Elizabeth and spans more than 450 acres in the heart of the city. A popular spot for hiking, sailing, recreational sports, picnics and more, Central Park is also walking distance from the city’s other major attractions, including a dog park, skate park, Aqua Adventure Water Park and the Fremont Main Library.

Fremont also houses eight trails for hiking, wildlife viewing, photography and biking; families can view the Bay Area from atop the Mission Peak Regional Preserve and tour the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Fremont’s Rankings Among 182 U.S. Cities

• Family and fun: 88
• Health and safety: 7
• Education and child care: 2
• Affordability: 38
• Socioeconomics: 1
• Overall ranking: 2

Top 10 Places To Raise A Family In California

1. Fremont (national ranking: 2)
2. Irvine (national ranking: 3)
3. Huntington Beach (national ranking: 12)
4. San Diego (national ranking: 13)
5. San Jose (national ranking: 14)
6. San Francisco (national ranking: 17)
7. Santa Clarita (national ranking: 31)
8. Rancho Cucamonga (national ranking: 32)
9. Santa Rosa (national ranking: 37)
10. Sacramento (national ranking: 43)

Top 10 Places To Raise A Family In The United States

1. Overland Park, Kansas
2. Fremont
3. Irvine
4. Plano, Texas
5. Columbia, Maryland
6. South Burlington, Vermont
7. Seattle, Washington
8. Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Gilbert, Arizona
10. Madison, Wisconsin

Read the full report on WalletHub’s website.