Overland Park ranked second best place in the nation to raise a family

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Overland Park has been ranked as the second-best city in the nation to raise a family in as most families meet the median family salary while very few live below the poverty line.

With high inflation leading some families to move to places with a lower cost of living, personal finance website WalletHub.com says on Tuesday, May 30, it released its report on 2023′s Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family.

To find which cities were more family-friendly than others, WalletHub said it compared more than 180 cities across 45 metrics. The data set ranged from housing affordability to school-system quality to the unemployment rate.

The report ranked Overland Park as the second-best place in the nation to raise a family with a total score of 71.35. It ranked 115 for family fun, 17 for health and safety, 5 for education and child care, 1st for affordability and 3rd for socioeconomics.

Kansas City ranked 76th overall with a total score of 53.49. It ranked 36th for family fun, 165th for health and safety, 97th for education and child care, 46th for affordability and 97th for socioeconomics.

Lastly, Wichita ranked 151st overall with a total score of 44.96. It ranked 173rd for family fun, 161st for health and safety, 158th for education and child care, 85th for affordability and 71st for socioeconomics.

The report also found that Overland Park tied with Columbia, Md., Scottsdale, Az., Gilbert, Az., and Charleston, S.C., for the highest median family salary. It also had the second-lowest percentage of families living below the poverty line.

The report found the best cities to raise a family in are:

1. Fremont, Cali.
2. Overland Park, Kan.
3. Irvine, Cali.
4. Plano, Texas
5. South Burlington, Vt.

The worst cities to raise a family in include:

1. Cleveland, Ohio
2. Memphis, Tenn.
3. Detroit, Mich.
4. Birmingham, Ala.
5. Newark, N.J.

To see where other cities fall or for more information, click HERE.

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