Big cities may not offer families the best places to live, concludes a new study from rental site Zumper. Midwestern city Madison, Wisc. ranked as the best for families.
Midwestern and Southern cities scored highest on Zumper's latest ranking, which measured cities by median household income, unemployment rate, education and crime metrics. Madison ranked highest due to its population of young adults, strong local economy, low high school dropout and low crime rates, MarketWatch reports. Lincoln, Neb., Lexington, Ky., Boise, Idaho, and Tallahassee, Fla. rounded out the top 10 spots.
The Northeast didn’t make the list. Syracuse, N.Y. came the closest to the top, ranking 25th. Even though many of the cities in the Northeast have young populations, the high cost of housing and infant care, as well as longer commuters, hurt their scores. Other cities, especially major hubs like Washington, D.C. and New York City, could cost parents well into the six figures to raise a family, according to a separate report by the nonprofit think tank Economic Policy Institute.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Market Data + Trends
Vacation and Investment Home Market Insights
A recent report finds beach homes to be the most sought-after vacation-home type and that the investment potential of a second home is an important factor in the purchasing decision
Affordability
How Much Income Do First-Time Buyers Need to Afford the Average Home?
The median-priced home is unaffordable in 44 of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas
Affordability
What Is the Relationship Between Urban vs. Suburban Development and Affordability?
A new paper from Harvard's Joint Center looks at whether expanding the supply of suburban housing could, in turn, help make dense urban areas more affordable