Scottsdale is the No. 11 city in the United States to raise a family, according to the annual report from WalletHub.
The finance site ranked 180 U.S. cities based on metrics like housing costs, school quality, healthcare, recreation and fun to determine the best places for families with children of all ages. Scottsdale ranked as the top city in Arizona and the 11th-best city in the country, behind only Fremont, California; Overland Park, Kansas; Irvine, California; Plano, Texas; Columbia, Maryland; Bismarck, North Dakota; South Burlington, Vermont; Charleston, South Carolina; Seattle and Boise, Idaho.
Overall, Scottsdale ranked ninth for socioeconomics and 10th for affordability — the city has the second-highest median family salary in the U.S. when adjusted for cost of living.
Those scores balanced out Scottsdale’s less desirable rankings for family fun, education and childcare and health and safety — 39th, 44th and 48th in the country, respectively. Scottsdale also has the lowest percentage of families with young children.
The Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family in 2026 (via WalletHub)
“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,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “On top of all 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.”
Also on WalletHub’s list were Gilbert (No. 16) and Chandler (No. 26). Notably, Gilbert has the second-highest percentage of families with young children, the third-lowest percentage of families living below the poverty line and the fourth-lowest divorce rate.
Looking at each category, Las Vegas ranked first in the country for family fun, Irvine ranked first for health and safety, South Burlington ranked first for education and childcare, Columbia ranked first for affordability and Fremont ranked first for socioeconomics.