For parents looking to relocate their family or start one in a new city, US News & World Report compiled its annual list of the best places for families to live.
The list takes into account factors like the quality of education, crime rates, and healthcare.
Historically, school districts that have high test scores, honors programs, and robust music programs were a key deciding factor for 78% of movers, a 2018 Realtor.com survey revealed. Crime rates and access to healthcare are often also important considerations for those looking to raise a family.
Many homebuyers now have an additional requirement: outdoor space. Amid a surge in interest in parks and outdoor recreation that grew out of the pandemic, some 51% of homebuyers are keen on settling in a place that has a robust outdoor leisure environment, according to a June Opendoor survey.
US News and World Report's top spots for families includes Albany, New York — the Empire State's capital city flanked by lush state parks and forests — as well as Grand Rapids, Michigan, a riverside city filled with parks and nature preserves.
To compile the list, US News & World took into account the more traditional considerations for families: average salary versus the average cost of living, the quality of school districts, crime levels, and access to healthcare.
While there was no explicit consideration of nature in the list according to its methodology, the top spots all have access to expansive parks or major lakes, rivers, oceans, or forests.
Here are the 10 best places to move to this year if you have a family, according to US News & World report.