OP again ranks as best place to raise a family. This big Missouri city is near bottom
For the second year in a row, Overland Park gets top billing as the best city in the nation to raise a family, according to a national website.
Overland Park got the top score, just ahead of Irvine, Calif.; Fremont, Calif.; South Burlington, Vt.; and Bismarck, N.D., in an analysis by the personal finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub looked at more than 180 U.S. cities based on 46 key metrics. Overland Park ranked first in part because it has a low percentage of families living in poverty and the highest median family salary adjusted for cost of living.
It also did well on affordability of housing related to family income and on quality of schools and child care.
But it did not do as well in the “family fun” category. It ranked 94th, in the middle of the pack, in the category that looked at features such as playgrounds and parks per capita, walkability, and number of amusement attractions.
Mayor Carl Gerlach said the recognition is welcome, but the city isn’t resting on its laurels.
“Overland Park prides itself as a city that appeals to families,” Gerlach said in a statement Wednesday. “The educational opportunities, strong public safety, outstanding economy and bustling development all make Overland Park a top-notch city.”
Still, Gerlach added, “We know that we still have more to do.”
Hundreds of citizens have been involved in what’s called ForwardOP, which is a long-range planning exercise to map the city’s future for another 20 years. That planning has already identified the need for more entertainment and culturally rich amenities, more diversity and more affordable housing as the city continues to grow.
Overland Park was the only Johnson County city listed among these large cities nationwide. It also ranked first among cities for raising a family in 2017, just ahead of Madison, Wis., and Plano, Texas.
Findings were based on U.S. Census Bureau data and other data sources.
Kansas City ranked 78th in WalletHub’s rankings this year, just ahead of Washington, D.C. Wichita ranked 145th and St. Louis ranked 170th out of a total of 182 cities. St. Louis got low marks because of its struggles with “health and safety” and its a high violent crime rate per capita.
The worst rankings went to Miami, Fla.; Detroit; and Newark, N.J.
This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 5:30 AM with the headline "OP again ranks as best place to raise a family. This big Missouri city is near bottom."