Survey Says: Best and Worst Cities for Families

A new study has determined the “Best and Worst Cities for Families” in California, and eight of the top 10 were from the north.

Incorporated in 2010, Eastvale in Riverside County—located on Interstate 15 between the 60 and 91 freeways—was the highest placing city in southern California. Topping the list was Folsom which, thanks to Johnny Cash, is most well known for having a prison.

Aliso Viejo finished eighth—behind Danville and ahead of Palo Alto—while another south O.C. city, Rancho Santa Margarita, just missed cracking the top 10 by finishing behind Roseville.

Four cities from south Orange County were among the top 40 cities in the survey of 240 cities by social and financial website WalletHub.com.

Census and other information was used to rank the cities based on four 25-point areas of consideration: Family Life and Fun; Education, Health and Safety; Affordability; and Socioeconomic Environment.

WalletHub looked at various areas within each category. For example, within Family Life and Fun, the separate number of playgrounds, ice rinks and attractions per 100,000 contributed to the score, as did the percentage of families with children under the age 18. For the full methodology, click here.

Here is a list of selected cities:

1. Folsom

2. Eastvale

3. San Ramon

4. Dublin

5. Pleasanton

8. Aliso Viejo

11. Rancho Santa Margarita

13. Manhattan Beach

17. Rancho Palos Verdes

21. Brentwood

23. Temecula

29. Lake Forest

32. Laguna Niguel

38. Mission Viejo

40. Redondo Beach

41. Irvine

43. Simi Valley

47. Beaumont

55. San Clemente

66. Newport Beach

71. Fountain Valley

68. Cerritos

72. Corona

78. San Jose

82. Torrance

90. Ventura

91. Lakewood

92. Burbank

94. Dana Point

96. San Diego

97. Santa Monica

100. Huntington Beach

105. Culver City

113. Santa Barbara

121. Fontana

129. Fullerton

130. Sacramento

132. Beverly Hills

133. San Luis Obispo

138. San Juan Capistrano

140. Pasadena

142. Anaheim

148. Carson

153. Riverside

158. Garden Grove

162. Costa Mesa

172. Glendale

179. San Francisco

179. Palmdale

184. Oxnard

185. Ontario

186T. Santa Ana, Rialto

196. Victorville

200. Hesperia

201. Perris

202. Moreno Valley

203. El Centro

206. Bellflower

208. Pomona

209. Long Beach

210. Gardena

215. Los Angeles

217. Palm Springs

219. Stockton

224. West Hollywood

227. Fresno

230. Montebello

234. Bell

235. Inglewood

237. Compton

238. San Bernardino

239. Oakland

240. Huntington Park

For the complete list of cities, click here.

-Martin Henderson; Aliso Viejo Library via Wikimedia Commons