What Are the Best Cities for Raising a Family?

Elizabeth Street

Cities like the Big Apple, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Austin are hubs of culture and innovation, but admittedly not terribly well suited for family life. Sure, for us fully formed adults who want our pick of the litter when it comes to Saturday night date spots, big city living is the only way to go. However, when you look at the quality of affordable education, frequency of rush hour traffic jams and formidable crime rates, you've got to admit that while you heart (insert city name here), you're a little concerned with the impact these unpredictable surroundings might have on your offspring.


For those of you searching for a compromise, Forbes just made your life a hell of a lot easier. The site recently released its annual list of the best cities for raising a family. Now, those of you who hail from one of the aforementioned international hubs may think Forbes uses the term "city" a bit loosely. The site's picks range from major metropolitan areas like Cincinnati, Ohio to lesser-known villes, for instance, Ogden, Utah.

In choosing its top ten MSA's, Forbes looked at "median income, overall cost of living, housing affordability (what percent of the market is affordable to a family at the median income), commuting delays, percentage of families owning homes, crime rate and education quality (mainly test scores)." All of these factors add up to a pretty solid place to raise a family, no argument there.

The list reads as follows:

1. Grand Rapids, Michigan
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Provo, Utah
4. Youngstown, Ohio
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
6. Poughkeepsie, New York
7. Omaha, Nebraska
8. Ogden, Utah
9. Cincinnati, Ohio
10. Worcester, Massachusetts

We've got to admit, there are some tempting candidates within that list, and the phrase "low cost of living" does ring like music to our ears after shelling out thousands in rent each month. How about you? Already packing your bags, or content to stay where you are? Let us know in the comments below.

For the full breakdown on each city's scores, head over to Forbes.

By Cordelia Tai

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