By Irvine City News Staff

Irvine is the second-best large city in the U.S. to raise a family, according to wallethub.com , a financial website for consumers. In a study of more than 180 cities, using some 46 key metrics, Irvine ranked No. 2 on the list. Huntington Beach was the only other Orange County city among the top 10, coming in at No. 9 on the list. Overland Park, Kansas grabbed the top spot. Cities were evaluated on health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics and family fun. In the area of safety, Irvine was No. 1 in lowest violent-crime rate per capita. The city came in at No. 3 in lowest divorce rate. Irvine ranked high in the health category at No. 3. The category considered factors such as air and water quality, infant mortality rate, homelessness and a myriad of other considerations. It landed in the No. 4 spot in the socioeconomics category which included share of two-parent families, families receiving food stamps, debt per median earnings, foreclosure rates and more. Not surprisingly, Irvine's acclaimed Irvine Unified School District helped it earn a ranking of No. 3 in the education and childcare category. Interestingly, with all Irvine's family-fun amenities including outdoor space, recreation programs, parks including the Orange County Great Park with its new sports complex, retail destinations and more, the city was rated 28th for fun. Factors in this category included playgrounds per capita, ice rinks per capita, walkability among other fitness/fun oriented factors. The worst place to raise a family, according to wallethub.com : Newark, New Jersey.