Ballwin 'Top 10 for Families,' Says Family Circle

If a magazine with "family" in its name ranks your town tops for families, it must carry some weight, right?

Family Circle magazine has ranked No. 5 on its annual list of "10 Best Towns for Families," which comes out in the August edition of the magazine.

"It's another feather in the cap," Mayor Tim Pogue told Patch. "The timing came as a surprise. It was probably February when I got the first interview that we were in the top 100."

According to reports from previous years of Family Circle's survey, magazine staffers whittle down a list of hundreds of cities based on criteria such as the quality of the school districts, affordable homes, access to health care, green space, a low crime rate and financial stability. Based on those criteria, the magazine ranks finalists and does additional research, which includes interviews with residents.

This ranking contrasts with a November survey by Bloomberg Businessweek that ranked Crestwood the .

In Family Circle's research about Ballwin, Pogue said interviewers were focused on the , and they wanted to interview a family in the district.

Enter the Ayers family, which is quoted on the Family Circle website. The magazine talked to Laura Ayers, an attorney.

"This is an incredible community with exceptional schools, natural beauty and plenty of great things to do," the magazine quoted Ayers saying. "Just about everyone I know has lived or studied elsewhere, but they always come back to Ballwin to raise children."

Pogue said in addition to the Parkway School District, the magazine focused on amenities such as , and other parks. He said last year, Ballwin was also ranked 80th in Money Magazine's "100 Best Places to Live," along with Lake Saint Louis (41) and Webster Groves (61).

Ballwin was the only Missouri city to rank in Family Circle's list this year; Last year, Liberty, MO, ranked No. 3 on the magazine's list.

Here's this year's full list from Family Circle.

1. Bay Village, OH
2. Vail, AZ
3. Lake Oswego, OR
4. Fishers, IN
5. Ballwin, MO
6. Louisville, CO
7. Fort Mill, SC
8. Longmeadow, MA
9. Zachary, LA
10. Oak Park, IL