Archive for January, 2010

Best Places to Raise Your Kids

Posted on Jan 3, 2010 11:19:53 AM

Where do you live?  Is it considered a safe place to raise children?  Would you move if you found out that your location was listed as one of the worst?  Would you choose your location based on the Business Week’s listing of best places to raise children?

I know that where I live is conducive to really bad behaviors.  Although moving is not really an option for us right now, I hope that one day it is.  I think that living where I live, parents have to be super involved to prevent children from falling into the gapes and ending up uneducated and unemployed.  I know this is the case in many areas but because I grew up here, I know it can be done.

Let’s take a look at the best places to raise kids and I’ll tell you what I think about how those areas would or would not fit my family.  Please feel free to chime in with your opinions of these places for your own family.

The data that’s used to figure this include school performance, number of schools, household expenditures, crime rates ,air quality, job growth, family income, museums, parks, theaters along with affordability, safety and school test scores.

In Alabama, Dothan is listed as the Peanut Capital of the World.  I may be wrong, but we drive through there on our way to the beach a couple of times a year and I am not impressed. Auburn Alabama near Montgomery is a much prettier place if you ask me and with the University there, I think you get a good cross section of good living.

Alaska and Arizona are not options in my opinion unless my husband were to get really good jobs.  Fayetteville, Arkansas however would definitely make my radar.  I spent a little bit of time there and the university brings that little town together like no other.

Since I am not fond of cold weather at all, moving further south appeals to me on all levels.  And, Pembroke Pines which is a city about 15 miles south of Fort Lauderdale Florida is definitely a top pick for me as well. 

I’ve lived in Georgia as well and Macon ranks up there with good places to raise your children along with Valdosta and Roswell.  I lived in Roswell before.  Although I would jump at a good opportunity there, my husband prefers the outskirts more.

The beauty of Hawaii appeals to almost everyone I think.  But, with the expensive cost of living, it would definitely require a great job for us to consider moving there.

Let’s just be nice, I’m not moving to Idaho, Illinois, Indiana (even with the Hoosiers), Iowa, Kansas or Kentucky.  Wait, Kentucky?  I might consider it but only if I could take multiple vacations in the winter time.  I really don’t like snow at all.

My husband grew up in Louisiana and I think that he would balk at the idea of moving there just for the sake of our children.  However, he turned out pretty good so how can you complain.  Areas like Baton Rouge are beautiful and the size of the city offers up a great deal of learning opportunities.  Other areas include Metairie and Alexandria.  Alexandria is really close to his home town.

I think I’ll continue this in the next post…

*The rankings are a collaborative effort of BusinessWeek and OnBoard Informatics.