Best & Worst Cities for Single Moms

Richie Bernardo, Senior WriterMar 16, 2016

Richie Bernardo, Senior Writer
Mar 16, 2016

2016 Best Worst Cities for Single Mothers

Finding a new place to put down roots is hard enough when you’re single, let alone when you attach “mom” to that status and a kid, or several, to your hip. By then you’re dealing with a different ballgame and literally some extra baggage.

Not long ago, the two-parent system standardized our family-centric society. Single moms and single parents in general were a bit of a social rarity, even frowned upon by mainstream groups. But as cultural perspectives have warmed up to this once-unconventional family structure, moms choosing to rear their children alone are no longer deemed social pariahs. Today, single-mom families account for a quarter of all U.S. households, at nearly 10 million, far outnumbering their single-dad counterparts by a good eight million.

But whether by volition or otherwise, the role of an unattached parent can be somewhat of a financial tightrope act, especially if you’re a single mom relying on a single income. In 2014, the median income for a home led by an unmarried mom totaled $24,403, not even a third of the $84,541 for families headed by married parents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. And solo-mom families are more likely than single-dad units to live under poverty, with child-care costs that exceed the cost of rent in every state eating a good chunk of their earnings.

In light of Women’s History Month and National Single Parent Day on March 21, WalletHub’s analysts decided to honor single moms by identifying the most suitable cities for their families. Our comparison of the 150 largest U.S. cities is based on 17 key indicators of an ideal environment in which single moms have access to ample job opportunities and earn a livable income while their children receive the best and most cost-effective care. Scroll down for the winners, additional expert commentary on single motherhood and its challenges, as well as a full description of our methodology.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Overall Rank	City	Total Score	‘Single Moms’ Economic & Social Well-Being’ Rank	‘Child-Friendly Environment’ Rank
1	Scottsdale, AZ	65.94	2	41
2	Madison, WI	64.47	12	6
3	Fremont, CA	63.28	21	4
4	San Francisco, CA	63.23	31	2
5	Seattle, WA	62.22	9	13
6	Pembroke Pines, FL	61.95	3	102
7	Irvine, CA	61.86	8	31
8	Honolulu, HI	61.85	25	7
9	Sioux Falls, SD	61.61	18	10
10	Overland Park, KS	60.63	6	100
11	Plano, TX	60.22	5	85
12	Des Moines, IA	59.64	17	23
13	Omaha, NE	58.67	16	25
14	Raleigh, NC	57.75	15	35
15	Orlando, FL	57.39	38	14
16	Huntington Beach, CA	57.32	10	71
17	Gilbert, AZ	57.20	1	148
18	Little Rock, AR	56.94	76	1
19	Tacoma, WA	56.35	58	11
20	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	56.34	11	87
21	Tallahassee, FL	55.51	48	21
22	Peoria, AZ	55.37	7	147
23	Chandler, AZ	55.35	4	144
24	Lincoln, NE	55.20	20	64
25	Cincinnati, OH	54.88	114	5
25	Vancouver, WA	54.88	28	66
27	Baton Rouge, LA	54.84	93	9
28	Virginia Beach, VA	54.52	13	81
29	Yonkers, NY	54.52	40	45
30	St. Paul, MN	54.50	29	59
31	Anchorage, AK	54.47	37	47
32	Salt Lake City, UT	54.32	46	29
33	Minneapolis, MN	54.08	41	36
34	Glendale, CA	53.99	26	86
35	Chesapeake, VA	53.95	30	63
36	Tampa, FL	53.81	57	24
37	Santa Clarita, CA	53.70	14	112
38	Springfield, MO	53.53	49	37
39	Durham, NC	53.22	39	51
40	Austin, TX	52.96	62	27
41	Portland, OR	52.76	45	49
42	Oceanside, CA	52.53	32	93
43	Reno, NV	52.44	27	83
44	Washington, DC	52.42	90	19
45	Cape Coral, FL	52.27	59	48
46	Boise, ID	52.23	24	94
47	Henderson, NV	52.10	44	62
48	Wichita, KS	51.85	34	96
49	San Jose, CA	51.80	61	39
50	Fort Wayne, IN	51.73	19	128
51	Fort Lauderdale, FL	51.63	69	38
52	St. Petersburg, FL	51.61	72	32
53	Jackson, MS	51.60	126	3
54	Albuquerque, NM	51.43	64	44
54	Atlanta, GA	51.43	103	18
56	Tempe, AZ	51.33	23	131
57	Santa Rosa, CA	51.18	63	57
58	San Diego, CA	51.16	77	34
59	Spokane, WA	50.83	51	79
60	Lubbock, TX	50.74	35	91
61	Lexington-Fayette, KY	50.68	70	46
62	Buffalo, NY	50.59	55	67
63	Montgomery, AL	50.56	113	12
64	Milwaukee, WI	50.52	87	33
65	Garden Grove, CA	50.43	33	122
66	Sacramento, CA	50.19	80	42
67	Akron, OH	50.19	73	69
68	Charlotte, NC	50.13	43	90
69	Las Vegas, NV	50.09	47	84
70	St. Louis, MO	50.07	119	20
71	Rochester, NY	49.93	81	50
72	Mobile, AL	49.87	129	8
73	Fontana, CA	49.62	68	75
74	Chattanooga, TN	49.62	116	15
75	Pittsburgh, PA	49.58	103	30
76	Port St. Lucie, FL	49.55	78	77
77	Colorado Springs, CO	49.44	22	129
78	Denver, CO	48.94	50	95
79	Louisville, KY	48.74	100	43
80	Amarillo, TX	48.70	102	53
81	Greensboro, NC	48.55	56	92
82	Fayetteville, NC	48.41	109	40
83	Aurora, CO	48.28	36	124
84	Richmond, VA	48.26	125	28
85	Nashville, TN	48.06	75	78
86	Grand Prairie, TX	48.04	66	105
87	Toledo, OH	48.02	92	70
88	Miami, FL	47.98	138	17
89	Columbus, OH	47.56	54	107
90	Knoxville, TN	47.39	134	22
91	Baltimore, MD	47.16	79	88
92	Indianapolis, IN	46.87	107	65
93	Glendale, AZ	46.85	52	138
94	Jacksonville, FL	46.75	120	54
95	Kansas City, MO	46.71	85	89
96	Columbus, GA	46.43	101	82
97	San Antonio, TX	46.40	67	106
98	Oakland, CA	46.38	117	60
99	Cleveland, OH	46.30	144	16
100	Boston, MA	46.25	97	80
101	Jersey City, NJ	46.02	123	61
102	Arlington, TX	46.01	71	108
103	Irving, TX	45.97	53	127
104	Huntsville, AL	45.84	115	74
105	New Orleans, LA	45.69	143	26
106	Garland, TX	45.64	65	118
107	Newport News, VA	45.62	83	116
108	Shreveport, LA	45.57	122	72
109	Grand Rapids, MI	45.51	89	113
110	Corpus Christi, TX	45.35	60	119
111	El Paso, TX	45.35	91	98
112	New York, NY	45.21	133	55
113	Providence, RI	44.62	135	58
114	Houston, TX	44.58	124	76
115	Oklahoma City, OK	44.43	95	104
116	Chula Vista, CA	44.39	106	97
117	Mesa, AZ	44.22	42	146
118	Ontario, CA	44.12	74	143
119	Brownsville, TX	43.84	141	56
120	Riverside, CA	43.58	88	123
121	Winston-Salem, NC	43.25	98	114
122	Modesto, CA	43.23	132	99
123	Hialeah, FL	43.22	139	68
124	Aurora, IL	43.08	82	145
125	Moreno Valley, CA	43.02	105	132
126	Phoenix, AZ	43.00	84	133
127	Long Beach, CA	42.78	112	110
128	Tucson, AZ	42.59	86	137
129	Worcester, MA	42.44	111	135
130	Philadelphia, PA	42.18	149	52
131	Tulsa, OK	42.16	110	121
132	Anaheim, CA	41.98	96	134
133	Dallas, TX	41.92	127	103
134	Bakersfield, CA	41.78	118	115
135	Norfolk, VA	41.73	99	136
136	Memphis, TN	41.27	131	109
137	Chicago, IL	41.22	128	111
138	Fort Worth, TX	41.03	121	125
139	Augusta, GA	40.26	142	101
140	Birmingham, AL	39.96	150	73
141	Oxnard, CA	39.56	136	130
142	Santa Ana, CA	39.56	130	141
143	North Las Vegas, NV	38.52	94	150
144	Laredo, TX	38.11	108	149
145	Newark, NJ	37.66	145	117
146	Los Angeles, CA	37.39	146	120
147	Stockton, CA	37.26	137	140
148	Detroit, MI	36.81	147	126
149	Fresno, CA	36.29	140	142
150	San Bernardino, CA	35.31	148	139

2016 s Best Worst Cities for Single Mothers v2

Ask the Experts

Solo motherhood comes with a unique set of challenges. For insight regarding those issues and how best to address them, we turned to a panel of experts in women’s and family studies as well as local administration. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

What financial advice do you have for a young single mother?
What is the most common financial mistake that single mothers make?
What strategies can help single mothers attain high-quality and affordable child care?
Why has there been such a dramatic growth in the proportion of households headed by a single mother in recent decades?
What can local authorities do to better support and meet the needs of single mothers?

Ask the Experts

Lori L. Martin
Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences at Louisiana State University
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Lise M. Youngblade
Professor and Head of the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the Colorado State University, College of Health and Human Sciences
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Kristi Williams
Associate Professor of Sociology at the Ohio State University and Senior Scholar at the Council on Contemporary Families
Read More

Alyssa R. Martina
Lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School
Read More

Lenna Nepomnyaschy
Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Read More

Melissa Curran
Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development in the College of Agriculture and & Life Sciences, and Director of Research in the Take Charge America Institute at University of Arizona
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to identify the best cities for single mothers, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across two key dimensions, namely “Single Moms’ Economic & Social Well-Being” and “Child-Friendly Environment.”

First, we compiled 17 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was given a value between 0 and 100, wherein 100 is the best value for that metric and 0 is the worst. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only.

We then calculated the overall score for each city using the weighted average across all metrics and ranked the cities accordingly.

Single Moms’ Economic & Social Well-Being – Total Points: 70

Working Single Moms: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of employed single moms with underaged children.
Median Annual Income for Single Moms (Adjusted for Cost of Living): Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Cost of a Babysitter: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Housing Affordability for Single Moms: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as (“Median Annual Income for Single Moms” divided by “Median House Price”) plus (Median Annual Income for Single Moms” divided by “Median Price of Rent”)
Financial Insecurity of Single-Mom Households: Double Weight (11.67 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of single moms with underaged children living below the poverty level.
Access to Welfare for Single Moms*: Half Weight (~2.92 Points)
Note: This metric measures the state’s welfare generosity toward single moms.
Single Moms’ Educational Attainment: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of single moms who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.
Lack of Access to Health Insurance for Single Moms: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of single moms without health-insurance coverage.
Single Moms’ Mental-Health Status*: Half Weight (~2.92 Points)
WalletHub “Women’s Equality” Ranking*: Half Weight (~2.92 Points)
WalletHub “Working Moms” Ranking*: Half Weight (~2.92 Points)
WalletHub “Singles” Ranking: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Social Support for Single Moms: Full Weight (~5.83 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of single-parent groups per number of single moms.

Children-Friendly Environment – Total Points: 30

Childcare Workers to Children Ratio: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of childcare workers per 1,000 children aged 13 and younger.
Access to Adequate Child Care: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of child- and day-care establishments per 1,000 children aged 13 and younger.
Outdoor Fun for Kids: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of playgrounds per 10,000 children aged 13 and younger.
Access to Parks: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures parkland acreage as a percentage of city area.

Sources: Data used to create these rankings were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Center for Children in Poverty, the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Meetup, Yelp, Care.com, The Trust for Public Land and WalletHub research.

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