As a parent, nothing is more important than
keeping your children safe, providing them with the best education available, and making their lives as enjoyable and fulfilled as possible.
And that’s why selecting the right town for your family is so important. To help you with that decision, we’ve compiled a list of the top 25 towns for raising children based on the quality of public schools, safety, and the amount of family activities each community provides.
WalletHub selected Overland Park as its best city for families. It was also included in
Money’s Best Places to Live 2016. It’s easy to see why. Overland Park is the second largest city in the state, but it has a small town feel thanks to weekly farmers markets, soccer tournaments, and hiking and themed gardens in the 300-acre Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. It’s also affordable, safe, and has an outstanding educational system.
This quaint town is
primarily known for its horse show, the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed competition in the United States, and its award winning schools. Since this is a part of Philadelphia’s Main Line, there’s easy access to the City of Brotherly Love, so culture and big city experiences await. Overall, Devon was
selected by Niche as the best city for raising a family.
This
Chicago suburb has been
named one of the best places to live in the United States by Money magazine, and
one of the nation’s safest cities by USAToday. Stellar education and a 1.75-mile Riverwalk make this an appealing community for families.
Sunnyvale is one of the cities that make up Silicon Valley. This San Francisco Bay Area town has been
consistently named by the FBI as one of the safest communities in the country. Sunnyvale also has a good public school system, several parks, and is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the United States.
Livability has named Rockville as the best place to live for three consecutive years. The main reason is that the public schools are some of the best in the country. There are also over 1,000 parks and plenty of diversity since it has the largest Chinese community in the state and is the center of the Washington, D.C. area’s Jewish population.
Low crime rates, more than 150 playgrounds, excellent education programs, and the country’s best school library system
make Omaha a great choice for families. Better yet, the cost of living is 10.5% below the national average, and there’s a mere 4.7% unemployment rate.
“It’s no wonder people flock to Irvine; it boasts high-paying jobs, stellar public schools and a quick 10-mile drive to the coast,”
explains CNNMoney. This family-oriented Orange County city has also been named one of the safest in the country by the FBI for the last 11 years. Irvine’s neighborhoods offer parks, pools, and playgrounds, while downtown Irvine has a movie theater and Ferris wheel.
Plano was
listed as the third best town in Money’s Best Places to Live 2016. It has the lowest crime rate in the state and some of the most affordable taxes in Texas. The town is planning for the future by renovating older buildings, building new businesses, and putting an emphasis on education.
The Chandler school district has been rated the best district in the state. It’s also an affordable and safe town to reside in. But
what makes Chandler unique is that it has around 330 days of sunshine and offers fun-filled activities and spaces, like a 23,000-square-foot BMX park, six aquatic complexes, four libraries, the 7.5-mile Paseo trail system, and an environmental education center.
Just north of the Oregon border, you’ll discover Richland, where there are 300 days of sunshine and comfortable living wages thanks to employers like the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Schools here
outperform their peers, and there are plenty of family-oriented activities offered, like a fishing pond, a splash park, and the quarter-acre “playground of dreams.”
Low unemployment, a great educational system, a vibrant music scene, safe communities, affordability, and activities ranging from sailing to hiking, ice fishing, hockey, and ice skating make Wisconsin’s state capital one of the best places raise a family. That explains why so many people
list Madison as one of the best places to live.
Merely 14 miles north of Ohio’s state capital, Columbus, is the town of Powell. This small community is highly educated and
has excellent schools. It’s also a safe community with plentiful activities in the area, like the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and its water park Zoombezi Bay, O’Shaughnessy Dam, and the Olentangy Indian Caverns.
This Atlanta suburb has highly rated schools, low crime rates, and plenty of family activities thanks to its proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact,
the town has a massive public playground called PlayTown, as well as a downtown fountain called Big Splash, where kids are encouraged to play.
Located just seven miles to the east of Boston, which means you can easily take in an abundance of history or a Sox game at Fenway,
there’s Newton. Although it’s expensive to live here, Newton offers top-notch schools, a thriving retail scene, historic neighborhoods, museums, and a rock climbing gym. If you want to go swimming or canoeing with the family, there’s Crystal Lake and the Charles River.
With close proximity to Washington, D.C., and just a short drive from the Shenandoah Valley, there are more than enough activities to keep your family content all year long in Stone Ridge. But what makes this town so attractive is that it
has an amazing public school system and a low crime rate.
Despite being a suburb of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex,
Grand Prairie has it’s own vibe that combines the amenities of the big city, like culture, sporting events, and theme parks, with small town charm. Pleasant weather and excellent schools make this Texas town appealing for families looking for the best of both worlds.
Popular among wealthy New York City commuters,
Short Hills is a quiet and affluent town that has excellent public schools. There’s high-end shopping, but also plenty of inspiring outdoor activities like hiking through the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary.
When you live just 35 miles from downtown
Los Angeles, you can expect to pay top dollar for your home. But that high cost of living
provides you with security, outstanding schools, and high salaries. Another perk is that there are numerous parks, such as the the Wildwood Regional Park, where you can spot an abundance of wildlife.
Nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, and just 25 miles north of
Denver, you’ll enter Boulder. The town is home to the University of Colorado and has consistently received high rankings in health, well-being, quality of life, education, and art. It’s also ranked as one of the greenest cities and one of the best places to start a business in the country. No wonder it’s frequently cited as one of the best places to live.
Award-winning schools and a Parks and Recreation Department that focuses on kid-friendly events, like an annual Fourth of July festival and Christmas parade,
make this Birmingham suburb one of the best places to raise a family. There are also summer camps, youth sports leagues, and museums like the nearby
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to keep busy.
This beach resort town is located by the Atlantic Ocean and at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. WalletHub found it to be the third healthiest and safest city in the U.S. It’s also one of the top 20 locations for education and child care. Besides the beach, there are plenty of historical and cultural activities to keep your family occupied, like the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
Stamford is expensive, but if you can afford to live there,
it’s definitely worth the investment. Besides its proximity to New York City, Stamford has a low crime rate and outstanding school districts, and nearby areas offer theme parks and wooded retreats.
This suburb of
Indianapolis has consistently been
named one of the safest places to live in the country. The public schools received an A+ from Niche, and there are plenty of family activities to take part in, such as swimming in the Geist Reservoir or attending the Fishers Freedom Festival and the Fishers Renaissance Faire.
Just 30 miles southwest of Green Bay, you’ll discover Appleton, a sleepy Midwest town with a low crime rate and solid public schools. When the weather cooperates, there are plenty of outdoor activities available, like fishing and swimming. You’re also greeted by the town’s “Newcomer’s Club,” which
sponsors playgroups, potlucks, and family outings for its members.
Situated on the border of Utah-Arizona, St. George is considered to be one of the best cities in the country to raise a family, and has an unemployment rate under 4%. Not only is it one of the most secure towns in the U.S., the Washington County School District has earned high marks from parents. There are also several national parks, such as Zion National Park, for you and your family to explore.
[tweetthis]Considering starting a #family? Check out the top 25 spots for getting a big foot forward.[/tweetthis]
Which towns do you feel are the best for raising children? 
