The Top 10 Cities for Working Parents…

Working and being a parent is not easy, but that’s the case for most families in the U.S. More than 89 percent of families in the U.S. have at least one working parent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 60.6 percent of families with married couples have both parents working.

Related: 9 Work-Life Balance Tips for Busy Working Parents

With such high numbers, it’s important that these parents get the support they need. Unfortunately, the federal government has yet to put in place a paid parental leave policy. Luckily, states, cities, companies and industries have taken it upon themselves to provide support for working parents.

Comparing 464 of the largest cities in the U.S., a recent study by Smart Assets discovered the top cities that support working parents. Taking into account factors such as median household income, unemployment rate, high school graduation rate, average cost of childcare and state policy ratings (i.e. how accommodating states are to working parents), the study uncovered some surprising findings.

For the second year in a row, Orem, Utah, takes the cake for number one best city for working parents. With a low violent crime rate, a 95 percent high school graduation rate and a low unemployment rate — the study called Orem one of the top “boomtowns in the country.” Following Orem is Ames, Iowa — a city that has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (2 percent).

Related: Why Companies Need to Create a Parent-Friendly Culture

Although a majority of the top 10 cities for working parents are small towns scattered across the country, of the top 25 cities that best support working parents, seven are in California. That’s because in 2015, the state passed laws offering paid time off to many parents who need to take care of their sick children.

According to Smart Assets, the top 10 cities that support working parents are:

1. Orem, Utah

2. Ames, Iowa

3. Layton, Utah

4. Irvine, Calif.

5. Provo, Utah

6. Iowa City, Iowa

7. Jonesboro, Ark.

8. Oshkosh, Wis.

9. College Station, Texas

10. Wichita Falls, Texas

Rose Leadem

Rose Leadem is an online editorial assistant at Entrepreneur Media Inc. 

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