Charly Haley

chaley@dmreg.com

Cedar Rapids has been ranked the third-best U.S. city for single mothers.

A survey by 24/7 Wall Street reviewed income levels, housing costs, accessibility to early childhood education and percentage of single moms living in poverty, among other factors, in cities across the country. Cedar Rapids prevailed as the third-best place for single mothers to live.

The only other Midwest city to crack the list's top 10 was La Crosse, Wis. Most of the other top-ranking cities were on the East Coast.

According to the survey, the Cedar Rapids area is "relatively affordable," with a $718 typical market rent for a two-bedroom apartment and a median income of $26,448 for single-mother households.

A typical single mom still has to work 52.9 hours a week to afford her two-bedroom apartment in Cedar Rapids, but this is a much shorter theoretical workweek than other cities ranked in the survey, which shows typical single moms in nearly every city working more than 40 hours a week, some at 80 or 90 hours.

But fewer single moms in Cedar Rapids are worrying about rent, as 58.9 percent own their homes compared with 45.6 percent of single mothers nationally.

The survey shows 52.6 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Cedar Rapids are enrolled in early childhood education.

According to 2010 U.S. Census data, Cedar Rapids had 4,220 female-run households with children younger than age 18 and no husband present.

Here are the survey's top-10 best and worst cities for single moms:

Top-10 Best U.S. Cities for Single Moms:

1. Norwich-New London, Conn.

2. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn.

3. Cedar Rapids

4. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.

5. Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.

6. New York-Newark-Jersey City

7. Trenton, N.J.

8. Bloomsburg-Berwick, Penn.

9. Boulder, Colo.

10. La Crosse-Onalaska, Wis.-Minn.

Top-10 Worst U.S. Cities for Single Moms:

1. Urban Honolulu, Hawaii

2. Hinesville, Ga.

3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.

4. Salinas, Calif.

5. Clarksville, Tenn.-Ky.

6. New Bern, N.C.

7. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas

8. Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.

9. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.

10. Goldsboro, N.C.

Source: 24/7 Wall Street



