These 25 Cities Are The Best Places To Live For Families: U.S. News

ACROSS AMERICA — Huntsville, Alabama, tops a new ranking of the 25 best places to live for families from U.S. News and World Report list targeted at families looking to relocate.

“Not only is Huntsville’s median annual salary, at $61,140, above the national average of $58,260, but residents spend just 19.62% of the median annual household income on the cost of living,” U.S. News said. “Combine those statistics with how the cost of goods and services compare with other metro areas, Huntsville’s the fourth most affordable metro area out of the 150 places on the list. Huntsville also ranks No. 25 for its relatively low risk of extreme weather or natural disasters, and higher resilience to those that could occur.”

San Jose, California, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, were ranked No. 2 and No. 3. Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Minneapolis-St. Paul rounded out the Top 5.

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