StorageCafe, an online marketplace and search engine dedicated to the self-storage industry, recently released a study ranking the best cities to raise children. The report found that Southern cities were overwhelmingly better in terms of schools, neighborhoods, and a host of other factors. Notably, the report found that the most affordable city for childcare in the country is Frisco, Texas.
The StorageCafe report reflects an analysis of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., evaluated by the following metrics:
- Affordability (property taxes, housing costs, storage costs, transportation costs, etc.)
- Childcare and education
- Safety and healthcare
- Family livability (commute times, access to entertainment, concentration of other residents with children)
- Environment, climate
- Transportation
While no Texas cities featured in the report’s top 10, the study found that Frisco is the most affordable city in the country with regards to childcare – that is, annual cost and income burden for two children.
The study reports that Frisco residents with two children on average spend 9% of their median income on childcare, which is well below the top 100 cities average of 27%. The highest burden of childcare costs, the report finds, falls on Cleveland, Ohio where the average is 65% of median household income.
“That gap can influence nearly every major financial decision — whether both parents remain in the workforce, how much can be saved each month, or when homeownership becomes realistic,” the report states…