Survey: This is the best city to raise your family in this year

New data from WalletHub shows that Overland Park, Kansas is the best city to raise your family in this year, with a “total score” of 72.88.

The company took a look at 182 American cities, “including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state,” in terms of these five factors: “Education & Child Care,” “Family Fun,” “Affordability,” “Health & Safety,” and “Socio-economics.” They then considered those further in terms of 46 other factors before eventually giving each location a score out of 100. The company also used information from the U.S. Census Bureau, among many other sources.

The 10 best cities to raise your family in this year

Here are the Top 10 cities with their total score:

1) Overland Park, KS (total score: 72.88)

2) Irvine, CA (total score: 70.74)

3) Fremont, CA (total score: 70.71)

4) South Burlington, VT (total score: 70.41)

5) Bismarck, ND (total score: 68.73)

6) Plano, TX (total score: 68.17)

7) Fargo, ND (total score: 66.73)

8) Sioux Falls, SD (total score: 65.92)

9) Huntington Beach, CA (total score: 65.76)

10) Gilbert, AZ (total score: 65.32)

The 10 worst cities to raise your family in this year

Here are the 10 worst cities with their total score:

173) Wilmington, DE (total score: 41.70)

174) Birmingham, AL (total score: 41.54)

175) Memphis, TN (total score: 40.79)

176) San Bernardino, CA (total score: 40.71)

177) Baltimore, MD (total score: 40.55)

178) Hialeah, FL (total score: 40.19)

179) Cleveland, OH (total score: 39.22)

180) Miami, FL (total score: 39.13)

181) Detroit, MI (total score: 37.48)

182) Newark, NJ (total score: 37.1)

Here’s how the locations compare to each other

This infographic shows that different cities on the list have their own strengths and weaknesses:

How families can make good financial choices in their early stages

Priya Shimpi Driscoll, Associate Professor of Education at Mills College, told WalletHub that they can take certain steps:

“First, take an inventory of your family’s short- and long-term priorities and goals, and then try to determine how you can draw from available resources in your community to help you achieve these goals. In your city, reach out and cultivate a supportive community by joining (or starting) a parent group,” she told the site. “By being engaged in a larger parenting community, you can potentially save on child-related expenses. Parent groups can connect you to opportunities for childcare swaps, preschool co-ops, or nanny shares. Further, parents in these groups are often willing to share or donate items such as strollers, baby clothes, and children’s sports equipment.”