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Want to know where there is no shortage of rugrats to hang out with your rugrats in the Keystone State? Look here. Yes, HomeSnacks has done every parent looking to move to this Mid-Atlantic state a favor by creating a list of the best places for families in Pennsylvania for 2021 and listing them below.
And because our goal here at HomeSnacks is to look at the latest trends and provide our readers with the most current data to compile our lists, we looked at the most recent Census for places in Pennsylvania with at least 10,000. This left us with 19 Pennsylvania places that any family would be lucky to call home. We also looked at how many households have children and how close a place is to one of the state's biggest cities. This research led us to multiple conclusions. One, there are currently 12.8 million people, 1.4 million families with 2.6 million children: that's plenty of little people to keep your little people entertained. Secondly, if you currently live close to Pittsburgh, Lancaster, and Philadelphia, our data says that your family is living their best life.
And, folks, it's no mystery that families are flocking to Pennsylvania because it is so safe: it's currently one of the safer states in America. So, we are not at all surprised that many of Pennsylvania's best places for families are also the state's safest.
More importantly, if you're looking for places in Pennsylvania with lots of kiddos, safe neighborhoods and schools, and boatloads of fun, keep reading.
The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania For 2021
We analyzed 19 cities in Pennsylvania and determined which cities are the best of the best for families based on our family-friendliness factors. What makes a city family-friendly, you might ask? Easy: low crime, good schools, and fun things to do.
So which city reigned supreme as the best place for families? Butler, Pennsylvania. Located just outside Allentown and near enough to Philadelphia and New York City for weekend trips, this town is a winner for families.
Interested to see what makes each city so great families? Read on to learn more about our methodology and a detailed look at our top 10.
Check out some more reading about Pennsylvania and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania For 2021
/10
Population: 13,092
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 57
Closest Major City: Pittsburgh
Households with kids: 28.9%
More on Butler: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 16,675
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 34
Closest Major City: Philadelphia
Households with kids: 31.9%
More on Lansdale: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 49,209
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 61
Closest Major City: Baltimore
Households with kids: 29.6%
More on Harrisburg: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 13,346
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 47
Closest Major City: Pittsburgh
Households with kids: 18.1%
More on Indiana: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 10,638
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 32
Closest Major City: Philadelphia
Households with kids: 26.3%
More on Lansdowne: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 20,832
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 64
Closest Major City: Baltimore
Households with kids: 28.4%
More on Chambersburg: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 97,263
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 85
Closest Major City: Buffalo
Households with kids: 28.8%
More on Erie: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 25,793
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: Philadelphia
Households with kids: 34.5%
More on Lebanon: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 12,468
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: Pittsburgh
Households with kids: 19.7%
More on New Kensington: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 43,987
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 41
Closest Major City: Pittsburgh
Households with kids: 29.2%
More on Altoona: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
How do you determine which place is best for families in Pennsylvania anyways?
To give you the places in Pennsylvania which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what's family-friendly and what isn't.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Keystone State
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Pennsylvania, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)
We then gave each city a Family Score.
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For Pennsylvania, that meant a total of 19 cities. You can download the data here.
There You Have It - The Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in Pennsylvania ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
Here's a look at the best cities for singles Pennsylvania according to the data:
- McKeesport
- Chester
- State College
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Most Dangerous Cities In Pennsylvania
Where Are The Best Places For Families In Pennsylvania?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butler, PA | 13,092 |
| 2 | Lansdale, PA | 16,675 |
| 3 | Harrisburg, PA | 49,209 |
| 4 | Indiana, PA | 13,346 |
| 5 | Lansdowne, PA | 10,638 |
| 6 | Chambersburg, PA | 20,832 |
| 7 | Erie, PA | 97,263 |
| 8 | Lebanon, PA | 25,793 |
| 9 | New Kensington, PA | 12,468 |
| 10 | Altoona, PA | 43,987 |
