The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In America For 2022


We used science and data to determine which cities in the USA have the best set up for children: a lot to do, good schools, and no crime.

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Are you thinking about moving? If so, you've come to the right place. There's a lot to consider when you're looking for a great place to live, especially if you have a family.

When you're thinking about the best place to take your family, you probably want to keep in mind a number of factors.

According to the United States Census, Americans are moving towards more major cities, and away from the country. Why is that? Are we ever going to see a dividing line between the suburbs and downtowns?

And will we see 'the best' places to live remain suburbs, or will the best places to live get pushed out to the country one day?

So, where are the best cities for families in America? You may be surprised by the results. And, odds are, you won't be able to afford to move there, either.

You're probably thinking, 'California must be pretty amazing.' Well, the authors of this blog are from California, and while there is a good quality of life in many parts, the traffic and crime might overwhelm you.

As long as you stay in your little nook, you'll be okay. Meaning, stay in your city, and you'll love your little Cali bubble.

Keep on reading for a detailed methodology or check out:

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best cities to raise a family in America.

The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In America For 2022

The best place to raise a family in America is Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. Overland Park is also one of the most affordable places you can live in the country - at least for now. The schools here are like off the charts good, and families here all thrive. Divorce rates are super low, and everyone has a good job if they want one.

There's a lot to do downtown, there's farmers, concerts, events and parks all over the place. There's a real sense of community here in Overland Park.

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 193,412
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 70
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 30.4%
More on Overland Park: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Overland Park, KS

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 144,430
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 68
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 31.1%
More on Torrance: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Torrance, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 107,787
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 36.7%
More on Meridian: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Meridian, ID

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 115,181
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 65
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 45.0%
More on West Jordan: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

West Jordan, UT

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 450,882
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 62
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 33.7%
More on Virginia Beach: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Virginia Beach, VA

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 115,975
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 92
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 21.9%
More on Clearwater: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Clearwater, FL

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 103,619
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 59
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 29.6%
More on San Mateo: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

San Mateo, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 395,912

Family Friendly Amenities Score: 100
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 27.1%
More on Tampa: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Tampa, FL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 139,216
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 41.8%
More on Olathe: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Olathe, KS

Who is our 10th most family friendly cities in America? Ann Arbor is.There are a whopping 159 parks in Ann Arbor - which is tops on our list. The schools here have a really low teacher to student ratio. People are educated, it's safe, affordable, and there's a bunch of fun things to do to keep the kids entertained.

And, there's a great university here too, so the kids don't have to go far to get their learn on. And they can even live at home while they're in college!

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 121,093
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 87
Closest Major City:
Households with kids: 17.7%
More on Ann Arbor: Real Estate | Crime | Cost Of Living

Ann Arbor, MI

Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in America anyways?

To determine which American cities are the best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. We'd all likely agree that safety, good schools, low crime and good jobs all play a factor. We included those, as well as a number of other factors.

How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the United States

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data, we looked at every single city in the U.S. 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 100,000 people. That meant a total of 194 cities. You can download the data here.

Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In The United States

If you're looking for a breakdown of American cities ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

Alrighty, so there they are, our most family friendly cities in America. These are the places outside of major metro areas where you can safely, affordably and enjoyably start a family and live well.

Of course, you could raise your kid in a really big city. Some people choose to do so and thrive. But the reality of the situation is less and less Americans are raising families in the big cities these days.

Here's a look at the cities in America that are probably great if you are single according to the data:

  1. North Charleston
  2. St. Paul
  3. Pompano Beach

For more reading, check out:

Best Cities To Raise A Family In America For 2022

Rank City Population Amenities Score
1 Overland Park, KS 193,412 81
2 Torrance, CA 144,430 56
3 Meridian, ID 107,787 51
4 West Jordan, UT 115,181 71
5 Virginia Beach, VA 450,882 76
6 Clearwater, FL 115,975 80
7 San Mateo, CA 103,619 51
8 Tampa, FL 395,912 100
9 Olathe, KS 139,216 60
10 Ann Arbor, MI 121,093 95
11 Allen, TX 104,040 63
12 Green Bay, WI 104,508 69
13 Fullerton, CA 141,061 49
14 Santa Clara, CA 126,723 53
15 Santa Ana, CA 332,610 86
16 Norman, OK 124,086 65
17 Downey, CA 111,263 51
18 Fort Wayne, IN 268,378 100
19 Jurupa Valley, CA 106,646 91
20 Naperville, IL 147,734 48
21 Santa Clarita, CA 212,519 48
22 Newark, NJ 281,917 77
23 Laredo, TX 260,571 61
24 Paterson, NJ 145,484 60
25 Greeley, CO 107,445 80
26 Thornton, CO 144,186 69
27 Mckinney, TX 191,197 42
28 El Cajon, CA 103,249 64
29 Boston, MA 689,326 100
30 Chandler, AZ 257,076 56
31 Simi Valley, CA 125,768 41
32 Lowell, MA 111,311 50
33 Miami, FL 461,080 100
34 Yonkers, NY 200,183 46
35 Thousand Oaks, CA 127,648 45
36 Berkeley, CA 123,065 86
37 Raleigh, NC 469,698 100
38 Richardson, TX 118,583 55
39 Hayward, CA 158,817 60
40 Corona, CA 168,112 39
41 Murrieta, CA 114,066 32
42 Newport News, VA 179,582 80
43 Norfolk, VA 244,300 103
44 Clovis, CA 112,663 32
45 Scottsdale, AZ 254,995 61
46 Oxnard, CA 207,722 49
47 El Paso, TX 679,879 89
48 Irvine, CA 272,694 59
49 Peoria, AZ 172,109 51
50 Elk Grove, CA 173,370 51
51 Abilene, TX 124,691 47
52 Elizabeth, NJ 128,484 64
53 Pearland, TX 125,817 50
54 Carlsbad, CA 114,411 41
55 Miramar, FL 140,479 50
56 Reno, NV 250,903 100
57 Chesapeake, VA 242,647 70
58 Hartford, CT 122,549 80
59 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 178,060 41
60 Boulder, CO 108,777 93
61 Worcester, MA 185,186 74
62 Sioux Falls, SD 180,927 77
63 Cincinnati, OH 302,687 100
64 Chula Vista, CA 268,779 50
65 Grand Rapids, MI 199,417 76
66 Santa Maria, CA 105,528 60
67 Providence, RI 179,472 90
68 Fresno, CA 526,147 99
69 Norwalk, CA 104,524 50
70 Pasadena, TX 152,537 44
71 Round Rock, TX 128,812 61
72 Vancouver, WA 182,792 87
73 Grand Prairie, TX 193,835 39
74 Chicago, IL 2,699,347 100
75 Visalia, CA 133,100 72
76 Sunnyvale, CA 152,569 59
77 Escondido, CA 150,396 59
78 San Diego, CA 1,414,545 100
79 High Point, NC 112,434 59
80 Anaheim, CA 353,085 53
81 El Monte, CA 113,917 35
82 Sugar Land, TX 118,563 48
83 Santa Rosa, CA 178,391 64
84 Tacoma, WA 215,766 100
85 Omaha, NE 479,529 100
86 Lewisville, TX 107,740 35
87 Murfreesboro, TN 141,704 73
88 Sacramento, CA 503,482 100
89 Centennial, CO 111,331 51
90 Sterling Heights, MI 132,296 53
91 Westminster, CO 114,832 68
92 Garland, TX 238,622 47
93 Cedar Rapids, IA 133,125 76
94 Irving, TX 240,475 55
95 Waterbury, CT 107,841 44
96 Spokane, WA 219,185 100
97 Salinas, CA 156,177 40
98 Broken Arrow, OK 108,875 44
99 Modesto, CA 214,485 62
100 Manchester, NH 112,441 74

Family Places By State

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.