To figure out the best places to raise a family, you should use several different criteria. There are lots of great places to live, but a certain few simply stand out above the rest. You want a city or town that has a low crime rate, good employment prospects, and access to quality schools. You also want it to be affordable, clean, and to have fun activities for you and your children to enjoy.
Good weather and a pleasant climate are a plus as well. With all that in mind, here are some of the finest cities in the US that you should be considering.
Best Places in the Midwest to Raise a Family
Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, and offers a cheap cost of living, alongside plenty of great outdoor activities. It has a plenty of bike trails and is also close to a lake. The University of Wisconsin is a great place to attend college, and is also home to different museums and theater programs. Farmers Markets are often held in the city as well, providing delicious home grown food for your family at reasonable prices.
Omaha in Nebraska is on the banks of the scenic Missouri River. It is a culturally relevant city and frequent jazz performances will give music lovers something to do. Downtown streets are paved with cobblestones, providing a wonderful old-time look. The job market is on the upswing, and the schools here are some of the best performing in the nation.
Des Moines, Iowa offers an unemployment rate well under the national average, and its growth in the insurance industry makes it one of the best places to raise a family. Anybody interested in learning will like the Science Center, and you can get some first hand astronomy lessons by looking up at a exceptionally clear night sky. Grays Lake Park offers free fitness classes and also has many nice walking trails.
Minneapolis is a very friendly city to bikes and joggers. They have multiple trails and paths featuring some gorgeous scenery alongside over a dozen miles of lake shore. If you want to get your children interested in theater, take them to Hennepin Theater, which has a Kids Nights. Minneapolis also has a professional hockey, basketball, baseball, and football team, making it one of the best places to live if you like sports. Students in public schools here scored very well in reading and math.
Best Places in the West and East to Raise a Family
Honolulu in Hawaii has fantastic weather, and its proximity to the ocean means fun water related activities are always a possibility. Its unemployment and crime rates are very low. Multiple public schools here have gotten awards from the Department of Education.
Seattle has a reputation for being a rainy city, but despite this its still one of the best places in the US to raise a family. It actually means Seattle has lots of parks with thriving grass and trees for you and your children to enjoy. Seattle has great public schools, the fact it has one of the highest literacy rates in the nation reflects that.
Boston spends over twice as much per student as the rest of the country, ensuring a quality education. They also have some of the best medical care available anywhere, including the Children’s Hospital Boston. Boston also has many parks, including the Back Bay Fens, featuring gorgeous gardens and a playground.
The best places to raise a family can be found in many different spots in the United States. The lower cost of living in the Midwest means that more ideal cities often exist in this area, but one should not rule out any specific region. Do a little bit of research and see what city has the schools, employment opportunities, and recreational activities to fit the needs of your family.
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