In this article we will take a look at 25 best Places to live in the US for families.
When it comes to the best places to live in the US for families, there’s plenty of options and sources to consult. As usual, we went with the public and most accurate data from the US Census bureau. The first and most important factor we’ve considered is education. We also took into account key factors like Cost of Living Grade, Crime & Safety Grade, and Housing Grade.
25. Portland, Oregon
Population – 653.115
Weather – From 36°F to 84°F and is rarely below 26°F or above 95°F
Portland is an urban-suburban mix, with short, ward, and dry summers and quite cold, wet, and overcast winters. Yep, this is Oregon, yet it’s got a B+ grade for Public Schools and an A- for General Good for Families. If you’re ok with an average of 154 rainy days a year, you’ll find an eco-friendly environment, parks, bridges, bicycle paths, and a deluge of microbreweries and coffeehouses to spend those rainy days, while your kids are studying hard at one of over 100 college and university campuses. In Portland, you’ll find the OMSI Planetarium and 30 museums.
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24. Kansas City, Missouri
Population – 491.918
Weather – From 24°F to 90°F, rarely below 7°F or above 99°F
Kansas City is Good for Families (A- rating), Night Life (A), diversity (A), Jobs (A-), Commute (A-), and Outdoors Activities (A-) heaven. Housing (B), Cost of Living (B), and Public Schools (B+) all rank in the B category.
23. Washington, District of Columbia
Population – 684.498
Weather – Warm and muggy summers and very cold winters; partly cloudy year-round. Temperature varies from 29°F to 88°F and is rarely below 17°F or above 96°F.
The capital of the United States, Washington D.C. is home to the Smithsonian Institution, the world-renowned museum and research complex consisting of 17 museums and galleries, including the National Zoo. Public schools in Washington D.C. are above average.
22. Boise, Idaho
Population – 228,790
Weather – Semi-arid climate with 4 distinctive seasons, typical summer temperature is about 90°F, reaching 100°F maximums and typical winters of 30.7 °F, seldom falling to 0 °F.
A great, small, quiet place to successfully start the long-term project called “Happy Family”. Public Schools here are above average, ranking A -.
21. Saint Paul, Minnesota
Population – 307,695
Weather – Warm and wet summers, average 83°F, rarely above 91°F; freezing, snowy, and windy winters with 9°F- 10°F, rarely below that mark.
Why chose St. Paul? The state capital of Minnesota, the “Twin City” of Minneapolis. Home to the largest hockey mural at Downtown’s Treasure Island Center, an impressive 300-foot by 50-foot installment. St. Paul encompasses 16 colleges and universities on just 56 square miles.
20. San Diego, California
Population – 1.426 million
Weather – Average summer temperatures are between 62°F and 76°F; cold and wet winters with the average temperatures between 48°F to 65°F.
Not yet a megapolis, but surely a heavenly place to be. A grades at Public Schools, Health & Fitness, A+ for Outdoor Activities, Weather, Diversity, Night Life, A- at Good for Families and commute. In San Diego you’ll find a rich cultural life of planetariums and science centers: Palomar College Planetarium, Fleet Science Center, San Diego Science Center, Pacific American Life Science Learning Center, Shiley Center for Science and Technology, Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
19. New York City, New York
Population – 8.399 million
Weather – Warm and humid summers and very cold and windy winters, the temperature typically varies from 28°F to 85°F and is rarely below 14°F or above 92°F; it is wet and partly cloudy year-round.
The only megapolis in our ranking – “the City that Never Sleeps”, “Gotham” or “the Big Apple.”
18. Boston, Massachusetts
Population – 694,583
Weather – Warm summers and very cold and wet winters; partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature over the course of the year – 23°F to 82°F and is rarely below 9°F or above 91°F.
When I hear Boston, I hear Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
17. Irving, Texas
Population – 242,242
Weather – Hot and muggy summers are cold and windy winters; partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature varies from 38°F to 96°F and is rarely below 26°F or above 102°F.
In Irving, you’ll find 33 colleges, out of which 7 community colleges and 4 public colleges and universities.
16. Tampa, Florida
Population – 392,890
Weather – Long, hot, oppressive, wet, and mostly cloudy summers and short, cool, windy, and partly cloudy winters. Typical temperature between 52°F to 90°F and rarely below 38°F or above 94°F.
Tampa has many college options, yet only 8 schools are available. Tampa has an A rating for Good for Families, Outdoor Activities, Weather, and Nightlife. Tampa is perfect for both raising a family. In Tampa, you’ll also find some cultural entertainment such as museums, science centers.
15. Charlotte, North Carolina
Population – 872,498
Weather – Hot and muggy summers and very cold and wet winters; partly cloudy year-round. Temperature varies from 33°F to 89°F and is rarely below 21°F or above 96°F.
North Carolina holds B+ at the Public Schools rating, has 9 colleges and another 30 colleges within a 50 miles range, enrolling over 115K students total.
14. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Population – 425,403
Weather – Warm and wet summers; freezing, snowy, and windy winters; and it is partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature varies from 9°F to 83°F and is rarely below -11°F or above 92°F.
Minneapolis is home to 78 colleges and universities and 55 museums.
13. Scottsdale, Arizona
Population – 255,310
Weather – Warm and wet summers; freezing, snowy, and windy winters; and it is partly cloudy year-round. Temperature from 9°F to 83°F and is rarely below -11°F or above 92°F.
A proud A ranking at Public Schools, Good for Families, Health & Fitness, Nightlife, and A+ at Weather. You’ll find about 40 colleges in the area and 7 museums.
12. Lexington, Kentucky
Population – 323,780
Weather – warm and humid summers and very cold and wet winters; it is partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature varies from 26°F to 85°F and is rarely below 9°F or above 92°F.
Lexington has a Good for Families, Diversity, and Nightlife A rating and an A- for Outdoor Activities and Commute. In Lexington you can find the following entertainment and education: The Living Arts & Science Center, MacAdam Student Observatory, Georgetown College, Transylvania University, Asbury University, University of Kentucky, and several other universities.
11. Austin, Texas
Population – 964,254
Weather – Summers are particularly hot and oppressive; winters are short, cold, & windy; it is partly cloudy year- round. Typical temperature over the year varies from 43°F to 97°F & is rarely below 30°F or above 102°F.
There are 15 higher education institutions in Texas, out of which 2 religious: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Austin Graduate School of Theology. Also in Austin, you can choose from 29 museums and a couple of science centers and planetariums.
10. Lincoln, Nebraska
Population – 287,401
Weather – Hot, humid, and mostly clear summers and freezing, dry, windy, and partly cloudy winters. Over the course of the year, temperature varies from 17°F to 89°F and is rarely below -1°F or above 98°F.
Lincoln has a Good for Families A ranking and a Public Schools A-.
9. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Population – 450,189
Weather – Warm and muggy summers, very cold and windy winters, and it is wet and partly cloudy year-round. Temperature varies from 34°F to 87°F and is rarely below 23°F or above 93°F.
Virginia Beach, yet another heavenly place to raise a family. Good for Families, Public Schools, Outdoor Activities, Diversity, and Nightlife.
8. Omaha, Nebraska
Population – 468,262
Weather – Warm, humid, and wet summers; freezing, dry, and windy winters; it’s partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature over the course of the year varies from 16°F to 87°F and is rarely below -2°F or above 96°F.
The “upstream people” city – that is literally what the Indian work “Omaha” means.
7. San Francisco, California
Population – 883,305
Weather – Summers between 54-65°F degrees and 48-59°F degrees in winter.
In less than 50 square miles, San Francisco encompasses 20 colleges and universities.
6. Seattle, Washington
Population – 744,955
Weather – Short, warm, dry, and partly cloudy summers and very cold, wet, and mostly cloudy winters. Typical temperature variation – from 37°F to 79°F and is rarely below 28°F or above 88°F.
Seattle is environmentally friendly, safe and residents earn above-average incomes.
5. Madison, Wisconsin
Population – 258,054
Weather – warm and wet summers; freezing, dry, and windy winters; partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature variation over the course of the year from 13°F to 82°F and is rarely below -7°F or above 90°F.
Madison is an A+ player in Good for Families, Commute, and Nightlife categories, A player in the Public Schools and Outdoor activities, and A- in the Jobs, Health & Fitness, and Diversity ranking. There are 8 colleges and universities in Madison, 10 museums, and a planetarium – MMSD Planetarium.
4. Raleigh, North Carolina
Population – 469,298
Weather – hot and muggy summers, short and very cold winters, and it is wet and partly cloudy year-round. Temperature varies from 33°F to 89°F and is rarely below 20°F or above 95°F.69,298
In Raleigh, you’ll find Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Raleigh-Durham International Airport Observation Park, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and other tourist attractions such as JC Raulston Arboretum. Raleigh has an A+ranking in the Good for Families and A in Public Schools categories. Raleigh is also home to 10 colleges and universities.
3. Irvine, California
Population – 282,572
Weather – short, warm, arid, and clear; long, cool, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 47°F to 82°F and is rarely below 40°F or above 90°F.
The top 3 opener is our 3rd and smallest Californian destination in our top. Irvine is a small family oasis, an almost straight A+ player: Good for Families, Public Schools, Outdoor Activities, Health & Fitness, Weather, Diversity.
2. Plano, Texas
Population – 288,061
Weather – hot and muggy summers; cold and windy winters, and it is partly cloudy year-round. The temperature typically varies from 37°F to 96°F and is rarely below 24°F or above 101°F.
Plano stands out in the following: Public Schools, Good for Families, Jobs, and Diversity. Though a small, quiet farming community, Plano is known for the strong job market and a couple of Fortune 1000 companies that reside there, along with other around 10K businesses.
1. Arlington, Virginia
Population – 236,842
Weather – warm and muggy summers; very cold winters; it is partly cloudy year-round. Typical temperature variation from 28°F to 87°F and is rarely below 16°F or above 95°F.
Arlington is great in the following categories: Good for Families, Public Schools, Health & Fitness, and Nightlife. Arlington area is home to 43 colleges and universities. You’ll also find over a dozen museums and science centers in the area. Enjoy your time!
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Disclosure: 25 Best Places to Live in the US for Families is originally published at Insider Monkey.
