Seattle is the No. 9 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. Seattle ranked as the top city in Washington and the ninth-best city in the country, behind only Fremont, California; Overland Park, Kansas; Irvine, California; Plano, Texas; Columbia, Maryland; Bismarck, North Dakota; South Burlington, Vermont and Charleston, South Carolina. 

Overall, Seattle ranked fifth for affordability, eighth for education and childcare and 16th for socioeconomics. Those scores balanced out Seattle’s less-than-desirable rankings for family fun and health and safety — 73rd in the country and 105th in the country, respectively. 

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.” 

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.