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The Best Cities for Middle-Class Families in Every State

June 25, 2024

5 min Read

Written by Gabrielle Olya

Edited by Joe Evans, CFHC™

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Choosing where to raise a family is a big decision, and several factors affect the best place for you and your loved ones.

If you are a middle-class family, affordability and cost of living likely play a large role, and you will likely also consider things like the quality of local schools, quality and availability of healthcare, and recreation opportunities.

To find the best cities for middle-class families in every state, GOBankingRates found the most affordable city in each state selected by WalletHub as one of the best cities to raise a family. WalletHub’s ranking scored cities based on 45 metrics that fell into five categories: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socioeconomics.

Here’s a look at the best cities for middle-class families in every state, based on the city with the best affordability ranking in each state.

Alabama: Huntsville

Affordability ranking: 45
Total score (out of a possible 100): 58.33

Alaska: Juneau

Affordability ranking: 63
Total score (out of a possible 100): 54.40

Arizona: Gilbert

Affordability ranking: 12
Total score (out of a possible 100): 64.02

Arkansas: Little Rock

Affordability ranking: 93
Total score (out of a possible 100): 42.70

California: Fremont

Affordability ranking: 11
Total score (out of a possible 100): 73.55

Colorado: Denver

Affordability ranking: 43
Total score (out of a possible 100): 56.84

Connecticut: New Haven

Affordability ranking: 156
Total score (out of a possible 100): 43.43

Delaware: Wilmington

Affordability ranking: 131
Total score (out of a possible 100): 42.93

Florida: St. Petersburg

Affordability ranking: 48
Total score (out of a possible 100): 55.19

Georgia: Atlanta

Affordability ranking: 30
Total score (out of a possible 100): 54.01

Hawaii: Pearl City

Affordability ranking: 73
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.21

Idaho: Boise

Affordability ranking: 23
Total score (out of a possible 100): 63.34

Illinois: Aurora

Affordability ranking: 83
Total score (out of a possible 100): 54.99

Indiana: Fort Wayne

Affordability ranking: 60
Total score (out of a possible 100): 48.68

Iowa: Cedar Rapids

Affordability ranking: 6
Total score (out of a possible 100): 58.49

Kansas: Overland Park

Affordability ranking: 1
Total score (out of a possible 100): 70.11

Kentucky: Lexington

Affordability ranking: 25
Total score (out of a possible 100): 58.64

Louisiana: Baton Rouge

Affordability ranking: 97
Total score (out of a possible 100): 42.95

Maine: Portland

Affordability ranking: 44
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.63

Maryland: Columbia

Affordability ranking: 2
Total score (out of a possible 100): 60.81

Massachusetts: Worcester

Affordability ranking: 102
Total score (out of a possible 100): 47.39

Michigan: Grand Rapids

Affordability ranking: 41
Total score (out of a possible 100): 51.88

Minnesota: Minneapolis

Affordability ranking: 3
Total score (out of a possible 100): 60.81

Mississippi: Jackson

Affordability ranking: 158
Total score (out of a possible 100): 39.90

Missouri: Kansas City

Affordability ranking: 46
Total score (out of a possible 100): 51.60

Montana: Billings

Affordability ranking: 27
Total score (out of a possible 100): 56.41

Nebraska: Lincoln

Affordability ranking: 16
Total score (out of a possible 100): 61.80

Nevada: Henderson

Affordability ranking: 62
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.12

New Hampshire: Nashua

Affordability ranking: 34
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.11

New Jersey: Jersey City

Affordability ranking: 96
Total score (out of a possible 100): 55.46

New Mexico: Albuquerque

Affordability ranking: 77
Total score (out of a possible 100): 46.67

New York: Buffalo

Affordability ranking: 51
Total score (out of a possible 100): 48.97

North Carolina: Raleigh

Affordability ranking: 10
Total score (out of a possible 100): 55.39

North Dakota: Bismarck

Affordability ranking: 4
Total score (out of a possible 100): 62.72

Ohio: Columbus

Affordability ranking: 37
Total score (out of a possible 100): 53.64

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City

Affordability ranking: 39
Total score (out of a possible 100): 54.32

Oregon: Portland

Affordability ranking: 36
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.82

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh

Affordability ranking: 22
Total score (out of a possible 100): 57.89

Rhode Island: Warwick

Affordability ranking: 20
Total score (out of a possible 100): 59.81

South Carolina: Charleston

Affordability ranking: 24
Total score (out of a possible 100): 62.53

South Dakota: Sioux Falls

Affordability ranking: 18
Total score (out of a possible 100): 60.88

Tennessee: Chattanooga

Affordability ranking: 53
Total score (out of a possible 100): 49.53

Texas: Plano

Affordability ranking: 7
Total score (out of a possible 100): 68.05

Utah: Salt Lake City

Affordability ranking: 40
Total score (out of a possible 100): 55.27

Vermont: South Burlington

Affordability ranking: 33
Total score (out of a possible 100): 58.56

Virginia: Chesapeake

Affordability ranking: 31
Total score (out of a possible 100): 60.31

Washington: Seattle

Affordability ranking: 8
Total score (out of a possible 100): 64.14

West Virginia: Charleston

Affordability ranking: 35
Total score (out of a possible 100): 47.66

Wisconsin: Madison

Affordability ranking: 5
Total score (out of a possible 100): 62.18

Wyoming: Cheyenne

Affordability ranking: 21
Total score (out of a possible 100): 55.72

Data is sourced from WalletHub and is accurate as of May 28, 2024.

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