Motherhood is a challenge, especially if you’re alone. That’s why living in a supportive environment can make a world of difference for a single mother.
So, which cities set up single moms for success?
To find out, LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Single Moms.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 36 key metrics. We looked for safe, affordable cities with ample child care and community support, high-quality education and health care, and a decent work-life balance.
Find out which 10 cities are best (and which 10 are worst) for single moms below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from our report. (See where your city ranks here.)
Highlights and Lowlights:
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There’s No Rose Without a Thorn: Roseville, California, tops our ranking as the Best City for Single Moms this year. Roseville has the lowest share of single moms in poverty, the third highest median annual income for single moms, and plenty of insured women and children. This city also has excellent public schools, low food insecurity, and state policies allowing sick leave for child care.
There are plenty of baby supply stores, but Roseville lacks child care workers. California cities in general have some of the priciest hourly rates for babysitters and a high annual cost of child care. -
Growing Healthy, Smart Kids: Wealthy suburbs Naperville, Illinois (No. 2), Overland Park, Kansas (No. 4), Irvine, California (No. 7), and Frisco, Texas (No. 13), have the highest-rated school districts in the country, making them great for both single moms and dads.
In the Health category, Irvine has the best-quality public hospitals in our ranking, followed by Eugene, Oregon, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Fremont and Elk Grove, California, have the highest rates of insured women, while Syracuse, New York, Santa Clarita, California, and Bridgeport, Connecticut, have the most insured children. -
High-Poverty Cities Lacking Policy: Huntsville, Alabama (No. 103), has the highest share of single mothers in poverty, followed by Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Each of these cities has a low median annual income for single mothers, unaffordable housing, and no state law allowing sick leave for child care.
At the very bottom of our ranking is Detroit, alongside several Texas cities, including Houston (No. 194), Dallas (No. 192), and some of their suburbs. These cities fared poorly across most metrics, such as median annual income for single moms and housing affordability. They also have high rates of food insecurity and high numbers of single moms and children in poverty.
Our full ranking and analysis are available here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-single-moms/