The financial services company WalletHub has released its 2026 list of Best Places to Raise a Family, and Irvine is ranked third best in America.

The report compared more than 180 U.S. cities using 45 key metrics across five factors: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socioeconomic factors.

Irvine’s abundance of family-friendly activities, world-class medical facilities, quality education and child care programs, high-paying jobs, outstanding parks and trails, and thriving community programs were among the many factors contributing to the City’s third-place ranking.