Two Maryland cities landed on opposite ends of a new national ranking of the best and worst places to raise a family.
What’s Happening: Personal finance company WalletHub ranked Columbia 5th best out of more than 180 cities in its 2026 Best and Worst Places to Raise a Family report, released Tuesday. Baltimore ranked 178th.
By the Numbers: WalletHub measured cities across 45 metrics, including:
- Housing affordability
- School quality
- Unemployment rate
- Violent crime rates
- Children’s health insurance coverage
What Stands Out: Columbia posted the highest median family income adjusted for cost of living among all cities in the study, 3.1 times higher than Detroit, which ranked last in that category. Fremont, California, took the top spot overall.
How This Affects Real People: Baltimore’s near-bottom finish puts it in the company of cities including Newark, New Jersey, Cleveland, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee. Detroit ranked last overall at 182nd.
The full report is available at wallethub.com.
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