Here's The Best MD Town To Raise A Family, New Survey Says

MARYLAND — Imagine selecting the best town to raise a family when safety, education and affordability are factors.

The task may be challenging for some people; but, This Old House, a company that parlayed its home enthusiast brand into a home-remodeling PBS series, has determined the top cities for raising a family.

The show's survey measured 149 U.S. cities across facets that ranged from child tax credits to kids activities. Primary care providers and libraries were also contributing elements.

“Emerging as an essential need to local economies is access to quality child care—including recognition of the largest provider of childcare, the educational institutions,” said Dr. Tami James Moore, professor of family science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, in the report. “Communities that don’t actively and continually strive to support and improve those two service providers are ignoring important obstacles to family success.”

The top five best cities for families are Scottsdale, Arizona; Overland Park, Kansas; Aurora, Illinois; Boise, Idaho; and Madison, Wisconsin, per This Old House.

In Maryland, Baltimore was the sole city to make This Old House's best list.

The breakdown was as follows for Baltimore:

• Crime rate per 1,000 residents: 48.36
• School district rating (out of 10): 3
• Childcare providers per 1,000 residents younger than 14: 2.98
• Primary care providers per 1,000 residents: 6.30
• Parks per 1,000 residents: 0.10
• Kids activities per 1,000 youth: 0.16
• Libraries per 1,000 residents: 0.10
• Regional price parity: 102.43
• Child tax credit: No

Contrastingly, of the cities analyzed, This Old House found the worst five towns for raising a family were Tacoma, Washington; Vancouver, Washington; San Bernandino, California; Oxnard, California; and Memphis, Tennessee.

See the full survey at This Old House.