This PA City Among Best Places To Live For Families: New Rank

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is home to one of the 25 best places to live for families, according to a U.S. News and World Report ranking targeted at families looking to relocate.

Harrisburg came in 20th on the list, with U.S. News and World Report highlighting the capital's affordability and quality of life in the report released Wednesday.

With a metro population of 587,411 people, a median home price of $223,842 and average annual salary of $54,370, Harrisburg "has a more affordable housing market and a lower cost of living than many of the East Coast's larger metro areas," said U.S. News in its overview.

To score communities, U.S. News looked at overall affordability, quality of life and job market equity. Consideration was also given to the cost of living and average annual salary, the quality of high schools, average commute times, crime rates, and the area’s overall well-being and access to high-quality health care.

The top 25 communities in the ranking are:

1. Huntsville, Alabama
2. San Jose, California
3. Green Bay, Wisconsin
4. Fayetteville, Arkansas
5. Minneapolis-St. Paul
6. Des Moines, Iowa
7. Albany, New York
8. Grand Rapids, Michigan
9. Fort Wayne, Indiana
10. Lincoln, Nebraska
11. Madison, Wisconsin
12. Syracuse, New York
13. Pittsburgh
14.Omaha, Nebraska
15. Hickory, North Carolina
16. Ann Arbor, Michigan
17. Buffalo, New York
18. Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina
19. Portland, Maine
20. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
21. Rochester, New York
22. Washington, D.C.
23. Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois (Quad Cities)
24. Cincinnati
25. Boise, Idaho