The Child Opportunity Index ranks Bakersfield and Fresno with the lowest scores among metro areas across the country. The Riverside area was fifth worst.
Second best place to raise children is San Jose, which ranked just below Madison, Wisconsin.
The study measured the odds of children achieving economic success and good health. It looked at a range of 29 factors that contribute to healthy child development, looking at issues such as education, health, environment as well as economic conditions.
Los Angeles and Orange Counties were 16th worst.