Best Cities to Raise a Family
There are many decisions parents have to make when raising a family. What values do I want to teach my child? Where will my children go to school? Will my child practice religion?
If the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” rings in your ears, picking a family-friendly city to call home tops the list. From avoiding cities with high rates of crime, like Knoxville, Tennessee and Dayton, Ohio to finding a town with lots of entertainment for the little ones, like Orlando, Florida and San Antonio, Texas—there are many factors to consider when picking the place to call home.
Provo, Utah
Large cities such as Los Angeles and New York are great for young professionals, but not necessarily a place to call home with little ones by your side. Not only does Utah have great schools, but in a city like Provo, you won’t be far from a host of family activities. Amid fantastic zoos, beautiful hikes, water parks, recreation areas and a myriad of public parks, Provo offers a picturesque environment for family life. And, not too far away, Salt Lake City offers the Discovery Children’s Center and a handful of festivals and art museums for adventures year round.
The downfall? Housing is relatively expensive, but the overall cost of living isn’t. Plus, no major metro has a lower crime rate.
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is an idyllic small town located in the mountains with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. In addition to the wholesome and safe environment, Hanover is vested in their education system. Contrary to the nation average school expenditure of $12,435 per student, Hanover public schools spends $20,084 per student. They also boast significantly smaller class sizes with an average of 11.8 students per teacher. And if that isn’t enough, New Hampshire, as a state, is ranked first nationally in the index for child well-being.
Boise, Idaho
With lower costs and less crime than the region’s two biggest neighboring metros, Seattle and Portland, Boise paints the perfect backdrop for family living. And at just north of 212,000, Boise combines small town charm with big city conveniences.
The residents of Boise enjoy four distinct seasons yet each are moderate enough to allow an average of 325 golfing days per year. Low crime rate paired with a reasonable cost of living and high quality of life keep this town topping the best places to live charts year after year. This low cost of living coupled with a booming real estate market make it the perfect place for a forever home—whether buying move-in ready or purchasing a blank canvas to customize your own home additions with specialty roofing, doors, and windows.
Suwanee, Georgia
Located in the bustling metro Atlanta region, Suwanee offers its residents affordable housing, tons of green space, and a new town center that was developed just for families. Its close proximity to the North Georgia lakes, mountains, professional sporting events and downtown cultural amenities offers a small town community with big-city vibrance. It’s because of this that Suwanee is considered one of the most desirable places to live in the Atlanta region.
Middleton, Wisconsin
Filled with parks and bike trails, Middleton is one economically flourishing city that will get those kids out and about rather than wasting the day on TV and video games. With a town motto of “The Good Neighbor City,” it’s no surprise a quarter of the households include children under the age of 18.
