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A California city is the best place in the nation to raise a family, according to WalletHub.

The personal finance website recently released its list of the Best and Worst Places to Raise a Family in the United States in 2025, based on factors including housing costs, recreation opportunties and the quality of local schools and health care systems.

Fremont ranked No. 1 overall.

“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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo wrote in an article published on May 27.

“Current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive,” he added.

In total, 26 California cities landed on WalletHub list.

Fremont scored first place on WalletHub’s list of the best U.S. cities for families, earning an overall score of 73.53 out of 100.

The Bay Area city had an estimated population of 228,192 residents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Nearly 50% of households have children under 18, WalletHub said, one of the highest rates in the United States.

Fremont boasts one of the highest median household incomes in the nation, at $176,350 a year, Census data showed.

According to WalletHub, the city had the third-lowest share of families living in poverty in the nation and the third-lowest share receiving food stamps

Fremont also ranked No. 1 in socioeconomics, second in child care and education, fourth in health, and ninth in affordability, WalletHub said.

Other factors that make Fremont a good spot for families include a high percentage of top-rated public schools and plentiful parkland acres per capita, according to the personal finance website.

In total, 26 California cities landed on WalletHub’s list of the best places in the nation to raise families.

Irvine took fourth place, while San Diego came in 10th place.

Huntington Beach barely missed the top 10, landing at No. 11

Further down in the rankings, Sacramento landed at No. 41, while Modesto was No. 79 and Fresno was No. 124.

Source: WalletHub

According to WalletHub, these are the top cities for families in the United States:

These U.S. cities offered the most challenges for people looking to raise a family, WalletHub said:

To determine the best and worse cities for families, WalletHub said it compared a sample of 182 cities in the United States based on 42 key metrics, including:

The personal finance website graded each metric on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing “the most favorable conditions for family life.”

WalletHub calculated each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and ranked them in order based on the resulting scores.

Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Numbeo and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WalletHub also sought data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Declared the happiest city for five years in a row, it may come as no surprise this city is considered the best to raise a family.

FREMONT, CA — The average American moves 11.7 times in their lives and if a family is looking to relocate somewhere new to raise their family, there may be no better choice than this city in the Bay Area, according to a recent study.

Fremont was declared the best city to raise a family, according to a study by WalletHub, which compared more than 180 cities and based the finding on 45 key metrics such as cost of housing, quality of local schools and health-care systems.

Top 5 Places to Raise a Family in 2025

“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,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.

WalletHub, a personal finance company, has also named Fremont the happiest city in the U.S. for five years in a row using metrics such as average leisure time spent per day to the depression rate to the income-growth rate.

Find out what's happening in Fremontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Many people may think that having more money equals happiness but the study found a different outcome.

“Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year — anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact. Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income. The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors,” Lupo said.

Come to Rail Fair at Ardenwood Historic Farm on Memorial Day Weekend: MAY 24, 25, and 26. Bring your family and enjoy trains of all sizes, from a variety of model and live steam trains, to a full-size steam locomotive. Rail Fair is loads of fun for train fans of all ages. So much fun that some families come all 3 days! Attractions will include train rides, operating model trains, historic railroad equipment displays, live music, tours of the historic Patterson House, and more. Purchase food and treats or bring your own picnic.

Buy your tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in line! IMPORTANT NOTE: Advance tickets are only available until May 23. On event days you can purchase tickets at the gate (cash and credit cards accepted). Get your advance tickets here: East Bay Regional Parks Online Registration.

Rail Fair is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Railroad Museum at Ardenwood, operated by SPCRR, in partnership with Ardenwood Historic Farm. Admission includes all activities! Prices are $16 for adults (18+), $14 for seniors (62+), $13 for children (4-17), and free for ages 3 and under. Parking is also free.

The event hours are 10 am to 4 pm each day. Ardenwood is located at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard in Fremont near the intersection of I-880 and Hwy 84. For general information call 510-544-2797. More Rail Fair information will be available on SPCRR’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/spcrrMuseum and our website www.spcrr.org.

$16/adults; $14/seniors 62+/$13/Kids 4-17, 3 and under FREE

FREMONT, CA — It’s no secret that California is an expensive place to live, but just how much income does it take to rent comfortably these days?

With mortgage rates hovering near record highs and rents continuing to climb, a new report from Zillow finds that renters nationwide now need to earn at least $80,000 annually to afford a modest apartment — up from $60,000 five years ago.

In California, the bar is even higher. Renters in major cities, coastal towns, and wine country communities must often make six figures to get by, according to the Zillow report, released earlier this month.

In Fremont, for example, the average rent in 2025 is $3,038 per month. That translates to an annual income of roughly $121,509 to meet the standard affordability guideline — spending no more than 30 percent of one’s income on housing.

But that’s far from the reality for many. A household would need to make $100,000 a year to comfortably afford a $2,500 monthly rental, a threshold many renters struggle to meet.

Find out what's happening in Fremontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Since April 2020, the national median rent has increased 28.7 percent to $1,858, while median household income has only risen 22.5 percent, now sitting at around $82,000.

“House costs have surged since pre-pandemic, with rents growing quite a bit faster than wages,” said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. “This often leaves little room for other expenses, making it particularly difficult for those hoping to save for a down payment on a future home.”

Zillow identified eight major metro areas where renters must make at least $100,000 to afford a typical apartment:

In six of these cities, median-income renters would have to spend more than 30 percent of their earnings on rent. But in San Jose and San Francisco, wages have kept pace better. A typical San Jose household would spend 25 percent of its income on rent; in San Francisco, 28 percent.On the flip side, Zillow identified some of California’s most affordable rental markets:

To help renters estimate what they can afford, Zillow offers a rent affordability calculator.

The city is marking Affordable Housing Month with a major expansion and new community openings.

Bea Karnes, Patch Staff

FREMONT, CA — The City of Fremont is celebrating Affordable Housing Month with the rollout of 560 new affordable housing units in 2025, marking a significant investment in long-term housing stability for low-income residents.

Kicking off the milestone is the May 15 grand opening of Fremont Family Apartments—54 units built in partnership with Abode Housing Development and Community of Christ, designed for families and individuals at risk of homelessness.

Located at 34320 Fremont Blvd., the complex includes social services, energy-efficient features, and child-friendly amenities just steps from public transportation and Northgate Park.

“Affordable housing transforms lives,” said Mayor Raj Salwan. “When families have stable housing, they gain the security to pursue opportunity… Fremont is committed to creating housing that empowers families and builds a more inclusive, thriving city.”

In total, five new developments will come online this year, including Bell Street Gardens—a former motel transformed into 126 affordable units—and Osgood North and South, which utilize prefabricated construction to lower building costs. The city has committed more than $30 million to support the efforts, with another $34 million allocated for future projects.

Find out what's happening in Fremontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The expansion aligns with Fremont’s Housing Element goal to build nearly 13,000 new homes by 2031, over half of which must be affordable under state housing mandates.

The City urges residents interested in future opportunities to sign up for its Affordable Housing Interest List.