A WalletHub study of best Texas cities for raising families suggests Port Arthur has some substantial hurdles to leap.

Released last week, the study, which uses statistics from such reliable sources as the Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and FBI shows that of Texas’ largest 117 cities, Port Arthur at No. 114 ranks ahead of only Texarkana, Houston and San Benito when it comes to raising families. Beaumont ranked No. 110.

“When you stack them up, you don’t see the why but you see the what,” Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst said of the study rankings in key, family-relevant categories.

It’s up to communities to discern why and how to respond to problems, Gonzalez said.

Port Arthur ranked 105th in violent-crime rate, 109th in unemployment rate, 111th in quality of school system, 112th in the percentage of
families below the poverty level and 116th in general affordability.

Beaumont’s rankings were 115th for violent crime, 100th in unemployment, 110th in quality of school system, 86thin families below the poverty level and 92nd in general affordability.

“When families relocate it might not seem as family-friendly a place as other cities,” Gonzalez said of Port Arthur. On the other hand, Port Arthur ranked at No. 60 of the 117 cities in percentage of families with children under 18, so the demand for family-friendly services in Port Arthur may not be as high as it is in cities where there are more children.

Among the brights spots was this: Port Arthur ranked 33rd among the 117 cities in high school graduation rate. The average commute time was 47th.

Gonzalez said WalletHub may revisit the study in two years. She said that was long enough time to pass that some rankings — such as quality of schools and crime rates — might fluctuate.

Teri Bingham, associate professor of educationa at West Texas A&M University, said people rating school systems by test scores are using just one indicator of quality.

“However, research demonstrates that socioeconomic status is the best predictor for a student’s academic success,” she said.

As a state, Texas ranks No. 20 in a WalletHub study on “Best and Worst States to Raise a Family.”

WalletHub is a personal finance website, based in Washington, D.C., that was launched in 2013.