A new study from Brandeis University has ranked several California metropolitan areas among the worst places in the United States to raise children.
According to the study titled the Child Opportunity Index, out of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., Bakersfield and Riverside ranked in the bottom five for the opportunities that the cities afford children, with Bakersfield coming in last. According to this study, 51% of children living in Bakersfield live in "very low-opportunity neighborhoods". Fresno and Stockton also ranked in the bottom five cities.
The Riverside area has ranked as the fifth worst area to raise children. The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 measured neighborhood opportunity for children by looking at 29 neighborhood conditions that impact children, and that includes proximity to and enrollment in early education centers, high school graduation rates, health insurance coverage, and poverty levels.
Wondering who ranked best? The cities that ranked among the highest opportunity for children include Madison, Wisconsin; San Jose, California; and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Los Angeles and Orange Counties ranked the 16th worst. See ABC7's reporting on the study below:
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