The Best (And Worst!) Cities for Families

TOP OF MIND

Are you living in the wrong city?
LendingTree looked at the 50 largest metros in the U.S. and ranked them based on seven metrics to determine the best and worst cities for families.

Those metrics were:

1. Median income for families with children

2. The percentage of children living in owned homes (rather than rented)

3. The rate of children living below the poverty line

4. The share of older teens (ages 16 to 19) neither currently enrolled in school nor graduated from high school (or equivalent)

5. Average round-trip commute times

6. Percentage of households with kids

7. The average cost of child care for a 4-year-old and infant (combined)

And the city that came out on top? Salt Lake City.

The important bits
According to LendingTree's research, the median income for families in SLC is $112,000, 75% of children are living in owned homes, and the monthly child care costs for an infant and a 4-year-old sits at around $1,600.

Minneapolis came in at number two, followed by Cincinnati, Kansas City, Raleigh, Austin, St. Louis, Indianapolis, San Jose and Louisville.

But what about the worst cities? Well, Miami came in hot with the lowest rating. The median income for families is $84,000 and the average monthly child care cost? $2,000.

Las Vegas and Los Angeles rounded out the bottom three. And get this, while the median income is just over $100,000 in Los Angeles, the monthly child care cost is nearly $3,000! That's almost double the amount of Salt Lake City, where families are earning (on average) $12,000 more annually.

You can click here to see where your city stands.

What's it all mean?
Ultimately, the city that works best for you might be the one where you have the most support from family and friends. If you have free childcare from a friend or family member, you're saving thousands a month. But, if you are looking to move, this information might be useful!

DID YOU HEAR

🎉 Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday!
The fine folks at Parents.com conducted a poll of parents to determine the worst day for a child's birthday to fall on. Unsurprisingly, Christmas came out on top, followed closely by the week after Christmas, summer break, and the week before Christmas. Some surprises on the list? September 11th and April Fool's Day. See the full list here.

😓 Are you nearing parental burnout?
Parenting has never been easy, but in recent years, it's felt just a little harder. According to a 2023 survey, 48% of parents reported that most days, their stress is completely overwhelming. Thankfully, there are signs to look out before you reach complete burnout. The number one sign? You're so stressed/exhausted that you can't enjoy family time. See all the signs and how to handle them here.

💒 The healthiest marriages have these 6 defining traits
Recent data has revealed that around 41% of marriages end in divorce. Some studies have that number closer to 50%, but we're still riding that Valentine's Day high, so we're going with the lower number! And maybe we can get that percentage even lower by studying those with long/healthy marriages. Psychotherapist Christina Eller got the research started and identified the 6 traits found in the happiest marriages. First on the list? Genuinely knowing your partner, which means being aware of their triggers, joys, dreams and worst nightmares. Read the full list here.

🦕 What is "bigorexia"?
Despite what you might think, bigorexia is not the name of a dinosaur. It's actually a psychological condition and type of body dysmorphic disorder that is becoming more and more popular among boys. Bigorexia is when a person obsessively strives to become more muscular, believing their body isn't muscular enough, even if they already have a bodybuilder physique. A 2019 study found that 22% of adolescent boys engaged in “muscularity-oriented disordered eating behaviors." Want to know the warning signs? Click here.

💄 Bye bye Chuck E. Cheese, Hello Sephora!
Lukewarm cheese pizza, anthropomorphic animals, and arcade games are so yesterday. More and more tween girls are having their birthday party inside Sephora. Seriously.

DOSE OF GOOD

@xsophiegibbx

Just wanted a cute moment🙄 give this gal a follow for the eye roll hahahaha #foryoupage #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #mumsoftiktok #trendin... See more

HERE’S A QUESTION

Over 260,000 teens got non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including fillers, chemical skin peels and laser hair removal, in 2023.

And according to a recent survey, 1 in 6 parents support this. So, we ask you…

Last week, we asked you to let us know how you feel about reusable toilet paper by selecting an emoji, and close to 100% of you selected, "🤢"

RECALLS

Tuna sold at multiple stores
Yikes! Several brands of canned tuna sold at stores such as Target, Trader Joe's, Costco and H-E-B are being recalled due to a botulism risk.

Apparently, the lids on the "easy open" cans have a manufacturing defect that could make them susceptible to the bacteria that causes botulism, which is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

The affected products have retail codes listed in the recall notice and best-by dates in 2027 and 2028. The tuna was also sold at Harris Teeter, Publix, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart and some independent stores in several states.

Get the important details here.