As the holiday weekend approaches, and our attention turns to barbecue grills, the Fourth of July Parade, and our families, it seems like a good time to reflect on one of the often overlooked items that makes Fremont a great place for business. Fremont boasts an environment that works as much for families as it does for factories.

Recently, WalletHub named Fremont the 7th Best City for Families. Considering the average American moves an estimated 11.7 times during his or her lifetime, it’s important to find a city with promising opportunity for economic prosperity as well as overall happiness.

WalletHub conducted the study based on data from 150 of the most populated U.S. cities and ranked them according to 30 different key metrics which consider family dynamics such as the cost of housing, quality of local school systems, and opportunities for recreation and fun.

And fun is where I come in! Bet you didn’t know that the Fremont Skate Park draws over 40,000 visitors annually and has educated more than 500 children on skateboarding safety. Aqua Adventure Waterpark hosted more than 90,000 guests with a 20 percent increase in revenue last year. This helps to fund $100,000 in scholarships for local low-income families.

But wait, there’s more! Studies also show that Fremont is a top place to start a family and a career. WalletHub recently named Fremont the 7th Best City to Start a Career, and DatingAdvice.com ranked Fremont No.10 on its list of 19 Best Cities to Start a Family. We know that businesses give great consideration to their employees when deciding where to establish a home base, so it’s no wonder that these family and career attributes are so closely intertwined.

Analyzing the 150 largest U.S. cities, WalletHub used 19 key metrics to determine the strength of their job markets as well as the attractiveness of their social scenes. All in all, Fremont was a standout in the rankings.

In addition to being a great place to get your career started, it doesn’t hurt that Fremont is also an ideal location for raising a family. Besides ranking Fremont as a Best City to Start a Family, DatingAdvice.com also recognized the City as having an urban, hometown feel. The article also highlighted Fremont’s moderate climate and easy access to things like shopping, major universities, recreation, and scenic locations.

My team takes great satisfaction in the quality of Fremont’s parks, open spaces, and activity centers. We also pride ourselves in reflecting business acumen in how we provide services. The external validation that this is contributing to the City’s business proposition is not only gratifying, but also challenges us to be even more creative and responsive.

While we don’t allow fireworks in Fremont, we do have a lot to celebrate this Fourth of July. Here’s to our can-do community, our families, and the fun we’ll have together.