How family-friendly is your city? This North Texas city ranks No. 3 for raising a family
The average American moves nearly 12 times in a lifetime, according to U.S. Census data. This happens for a variety of reasons, both positive (such as getting a new job) and negative (like facing foreclosure on a home). In times of financial and/or occupational uncertainty, families are more likely to seek relocation to somewhere with a relatively low cost of living.
To determine where families may be inclined to move, WalletHub published a survey comparing over 180 U.S. cities across 45 key factors, from the cost of housing to the quality of local school and healthcare systems to opportunities for fun and recreation.
"Finding the best place to raise a family is difficult, between balancing an affordable cost of living with good educational opportunities, safety and enough recreation to keep kids entertained," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "On top of all of these factors, people also often want to raise their children close to their extended family. Therefore, current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive of their family."
Can you guess which Texas city made the top three for family friendliness? Here's how your city compares.
Austin summer on a budget: Free concert series, museums, more wallet-friendly activities
A North Texas city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area was named the third-most family-friendly city in the country, according to WalletHub.
Plano stood out among cities for its safety, having the tenth-lowest violent crime rate and the 29th-lowest property crime rate. It also had a low traffic fatality rate.
In the education sphere, Plano has the ninth-largest share of schools (over 55%) with a rating of at least 7 out of 10. It also claimed the fifth-highest high school graduation rate.
Total score: 68.55
Family fun rank: 75
Health and safety rank: 5
Education and childcare rank: 19
Affordability rank: 6
Socioeconomics rank: 2
Source: WalletHub
Besides Plano, three other cities in the Lone Star State ranked in the top 10 in various categories. Austin ranked eighth in affordability, while Irving ranked 10th in socioeconomics. Dallas ranked ninth in family fun.
Houston tied with New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and San Francisco in offering the most attractions among all cities in the study. H-Town also had the fifth-most playgrounds per capita. Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Cincinnati all tied for having the most playgrounds.
Out of all the cities analyzed, Laredo had the largest share of families with young kids, topped only by Gilbert, Arizona.
Not all Texas cities were considered family-friendly across the board. Brownsville tied with Rochester, New York for having the third-largest share of families who live below the poverty line. Detroit and Cleveland had the first- and second-largest share, respectively.
Although Houston offers numerous playgrounds and attractions, it ranked near the bottom (169) in the health and safety category.
Overall rank
City
Family fun rank
Health & safety rank
Education & child care rank
Affordability rank
Socioeconomics rank
3
Plano
75
5
19
6
2
16
Austin
83
92
27
8
40
75
Grand Prairie
47
59
165
98
43
77
Amarillo
81
129
85
74
48
90
Fort Worth
59
106
157
69
69
92
Laredo
69
82
23
151
116
101
Arlington
72
99
149
99
59
103
Irving
172
76
146
86
10
105
Garland
144
78
135
127
29
110
El Paso
20
94
104
155
124
118
Brownsville
89
134
31
154
126
121
Lubbock
111
154
65
96
115
136
Dallas
9
140
108
132
107
144
Houston
33
169
121
131
135
147
Corpus Christi
160
130
130
119
84
152
San Antonio
80
163
128
126
131
As evident in Houston's rankings, having a high rank in family fun often did not coincide with high rankings in other categories and vice versa. The overall top three cities to raise a family in did not make the top 50 for family fun. South Burlington, Vermont ranked the best in education and child care but landed near the bottom in terms of family fun.
The inverse was also true. Las Vegas, for example, topped the family fun ranking but came in 151st for education and child care. Los Angeles, ranked No. 2 in family fun, is also 172nd in affordability.
City, state
Total score
Family fun rank
Health & safety rank
Education & child care rank
Affordability rank
Socioeconomics rank
Fremont, CA
73.53
86
4
2
9
1
Overland Park, KS
71.66
102
18
10
1
3
Plano, TX
68.55
75
5
19
6
2
Irvine, CA
68.50
31
3
3
52
11
South Burlington, VT
65.07
163
108
1
10
17
Seattle, WA
64.93
71
93
11
7
14
Boise, ID
64.86
18
26
30
28
18
Gilbert, AZ
64.69
70
16
50
14
4
Bismarck, ND
64.57
117
32
64
4
9
San Diego, CA
64.39
5
21
12
82
30
City, state
Total score
Family fun rank
Health & safety rank
Education & child care rank
Affordability rank
Socioeconomics rank
Memphis, TN
34.07
153
181
168
158
169
Detroit, MI
34.10
49
173
180
156
182
Cleveland, OH
34.89
100
172
173
163
181
Gulfport, MS
37.67
113
158
179
165
159
Newark, NJ
38.07
170
88
53
180
177
Birmingham, AL
38.23
124
170
167
148
174
Baltimore, MD
39.06
157
148
166
118
178
San Bernardino, CA
39.26
22
168
172
178
136
Jackson, MS
39.57
76
180
127
161
167
Hialeah, FL
39.78
176
40
59
182
149
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: This Texas city ranks as the 3rd most family-friendly city in the US
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