GILBERT

Study: Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa best cities for working parents

Parker Leavitt
The Republic | azcentral.com
Pregnant woman working on laptop.

High-quality schools and a relatively low cost of living help make Gilbert the best city in the nation for working parents, according to a new study from Business Insider and NerdWallet.

Two other Southeast Valley cities — Chandler (3) and Mesa (10) — were included among the top 10 on a list that ranked 100 U.S. cities based on schools, affordability, childcare costs and household income.

The two business websites noted Gilbert's transformation from "Hay Shipping Capital of the World" to a diverse suburban center with one of the nation's highest income levels and a 9/10 rating from greatschools.org. Only Irvine, Calif. posted a better schools rating.

The study also pointed out Chandler's strong economy, anchored by Intel Corp., and Mesa's robust health-care sector.

Other Valley cities listed in the rankings included Scottsdale (11), Glendale (14) and Phoenix (45). The study only examined the largest U.S. cities, and some were omitted due to insufficient data, according to NerdWallet.

Boston was ranked last, followed by Minneapolis, Minn. and Buffalo, N.Y.

Of families with children, nearly 9 out of 10 have at least one working parent, while about 3 out of 5 have two working parents, according to NerdWallet.

Top 10 cities in the U.S. for working families

A recent study published by Business Insider and NerdWallet evaluated the nation's largest cities based on affordability, schools, child care and household income. Here's are some of their findings.

1. Gilbert

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,697

Median annual household income: $77,739

Average child-care cost: $7,398

GreatSchools rating: 9

Households with children: 76.8 percent

2. Plano, Texas

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,898

Median annual household income: $81,339

Average annual child-care cost: $6,547

GreatSchools rating: 8

Households with children: 71.2 percent

3. Chandler

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,607

Median annual household income: $69,917

Average annual child-care cost: $7,398

GreatSchools rating: 8

Households with children: 69.1 percent

4. Fremont, Calif.

Median monthly homeowner cost: $2,722

Median annual household income: $95,101

Average annual child-care cost: $8,407

GreatSchools rating: 8

Households with children: 78.4 percent

5. Irvine, Calif.

Median monthly homeowner cost: $2,958

Median annual household income: $91,760

Average annual child-care cost: $8,407

GreatSchools rating: 10

Households with children: 66.7 percent

6. Garland, Texas

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,342

Median annual household income: $52,084

Average annual child-care cost: $6,547

GreatSchools rating: 6

Households with children: 77.1 percent

7. El Paso, Texas

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,144

Median annual household income: $40,920

Average annual child-care cost: $6,547

GreatSchools rating: 6

Households with children: 73.9 percent

8. Lexington, Ky.

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,284

Median annual household income: $47,785

Average annual child-care cost: $6,007

GreatSchools rating: 7

Households with children: 57.7 percent

9. Chesapeake, Va.

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,791

Median annual household income: $68,750

Average annual child-care cost: $7,855

GreatSchools rating: 6

Households with children: 74.4 percent

10. Mesa

Median monthly homeowner cost: $1,374

Median annual household income: $46,496

Average annual child-care cost: $7,398

GreatSchools rating: 7

Households with children: 65 percent

Sources: NerdWallet and Business Insider