The 10 Best (and Worst) Cities for Single Moms. Is Yours on the List?

Q: What criteria determine the Best Cities For Single Moms?

Rankings typically combine measures of economic well‑being (income, housing affordability, employment) with child‑friendly factors (childcare availability, parks, school quality) to assess support for single mothers.

Q: Which cities topped the list for single moms?

The highest‑ranked cities include places like Scottsdale, Madison, Fremont, San Francisco, and Seattle, noted for stronger earnings, resources, and family services.

Q: What makes a city particularly challenging for single mothers?

Cities with high poverty rates, limited affordable housing, scarce childcare options, and fewer local supports often rank worse for single moms.

Q: How can single moms use these rankings when deciding where to move?

Use rankings as a starting point, then research local cost of living, job opportunities, childcare availability, and community services to match your priorities and budget.

Q: Are smaller towns ever better choices than big cities for single moms?

Yes. Some smaller cities or suburbs offer lower housing costs, strong community support, and good schools, which can outweigh larger cities’ higher wages but higher expenses.

Published by

Clara

Feb 22

Best Cities For Single Moms — Top Picks & Insights

So I’ll skip the long preamble and get straight to the update: WalletHub recently published its list of2016’s best and worst cities for single moms.

To build the ranking, the site evaluated the 150 most populous U.S. cities across two main categories: “single moms’ economic and social well-being” and “child-friendly environment.”

The first category covers metrics such as median annual earnings for single mothers, financial instability among single-mom households and availability of affordable housing.

The second looks at measures like the ratio of childcare providers to children and access to daycare, playgrounds and parks.

Below are the 10 cities that ranked highest — and the 10 that fared worst.

The 10 Best Cities for Single Moms

Scottsdale, Arizona
Madison, Wisconsin
Fremont, California
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Irvine, California
Honolulu, Hawaii
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Overland Park, Kansas

The 10 Worst Cities for Single Moms

San Bernardino, California
Fresno, California
Detroit, Michigan
Stockton, California
Los Angeles, California
Newark, New Jersey
Laredo, Texas
North Las Vegas, Nevada
Santa Ana, California
Oxnard, California

A Few More Notable Findings

The research highlighted some other noteworthy stats, such as the city with the…

Highest median annual income for single moms, adjusted for cost of living: Gilbert, Arizona

Lowest median annual income for single moms, adjusted for cost of living: New York, New York

Lowest share of single moms with minor children living in poverty: Pembroke Pines, Florida

Highest share of single moms with minor children living in poverty: Brownsville, Texas

Lowest babysitter rate: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Highest babysitter rate: San Francisco, California

You can also view this map for a visual breakdown (blue suggests favorable conditions; orange indicates less favorable).

Money Tips for Single Moms

If you’re finding things tough, don’t hesitate to make use of local supports.

“Both state and federal programs that provide assistance and services are extremely helpful to single parents,” says Alyssa R. Martina, a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School and a former single mother.

“Most counties nationwide offer financial aid programs to assist families in need.”

Martina suggests looking into offerings from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and your local school system.

She also urges single moms to save and invest — even if it seems impossible.

“Begin small but begin somewhere!” she advises.

“Set aside a tiny amount each week for an emergency fund and try to commit to investing a portion of it each quarter. Over time it grows, and in a few years you’ll be glad you had the discipline to save and even invest a little.”

If you want additional guidance, here are a few related posts you might find useful: