Fremont Tops US Family-Raising Rankings

WalletHub ranked Fremont, California, as the best U.S. city to raise a family in its 2026 report released last week. The personal finance website said it compared more than 180 cities using 45 metrics tied to housing costs, schools, health care, safety and recreation. The result put a Bay Area city with some of the country’s highest home values at the top of a list built partly around affordability. U.S. Census Bureau data show Fremont’s median owner-occupied home value was about $1.4 million in 2020-2024, while median gross rent was $2,933. ### Why did Fremont finish first despite Bay Area housing costs? WalletHub said Fremont led the 2026 ranking “due largely to economic factors.” The site said the city’s median family income, adjusted for cost of living, was more than $137,000. It also said Fremont had the second-lowest share of families living in poverty and the fifth-lowest share receiving food stamps. U.S. Census Bureau figures show why the housing question does not disappear from that picture. (wallethub.com) Fremont’s median value for owner-occupied homes was $1,403,800 in 2020-2024, and the median monthly owner cost with a mortgage was more than $4,000, according to QuickFacts. Median household income was $176,350 in 2020-2024. ### What exactly did WalletHub measure? WalletHub said it compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key metrics. (wallethub.com) The categories included cost of housing, quality of local school systems, health-care systems, safety and opportunities for fun and recreation. The ranking is one of several recurring WalletHub city studies that use weighted indicators rather than a single census measure. (census.gov) In Fremont’s case, the site’s write-up emphasized income after cost-of-living adjustment and low poverty-related measures rather than a claim that the city had low sticker-price housing. ### How does Fremont look on the ground beyond the ranking? The U.S. (wallethub.com) Census Bureau estimated Fremont’s population at 226,442 as of July 1, 2025. People under 18 made up 22.3% of residents, and 63.9% of adults 25 and older held at least a bachelor’s degree in 2020-2024. Fremont Police said in a May 5, 2026 city news release that the department responded to more than 102,000 service calls in 2025 and reduced shootings, firearm arrests and catalytic-converter thefts. (wallethub.com) The police department’s transparency page says its 2025 annual report is now available. ### How unusual is Fremont’s profile compared with other big cities? WalletHub’s write-up described Fremont as an outlier on several household measures. (census.gov) The city’s high adjusted family income and low poverty indicators helped it outrank places where nominal housing costs are lower but family finances are weaker after cost-of-living adjustments, according to the ranking. WalletHub has also highlighted Fremont in other quality-of-life studies. (fremont.gov) In a separate 2026 happiness ranking, the site said Fremont had the country’s highest life-satisfaction rate and the lowest separation and divorce rate, at 9.3%. That is a different study with different criteria, but it points to the same pattern of strong household-level indicators. ### Where can readers check the ranking for themselves? (wallethub.com) WalletHub’s 2026 family report is posted on the company’s rankings site and includes the city list plus a methodology summary. The page says the comparison covered more than 180 cities and 45 metrics. The next public reference points are already available from official sources. The Census Bureau’s Fremont QuickFacts page carries updated population, housing and income data, and the Fremont Police Department has posted its 2025 annual report and yearly summaries on its transparency portal. (wallethub.com) (census.gov) (wallethub.com)