Many of the Best Cities for Raising a Family Are Surprisingly Still Affordable

by Clare Trapasso

Father with daughter in city — Getty Images

Those looking for a good place to raise a family might want to head South.

The best areas for families with children tend to be midsize cities in Texas and Virginia, where homes are still at least somewhat affordable, according to a recent ranking from the Yardi Systems company StorageCafé, which used Yardi Matrix data.

To come up with its finding, the firm looked at nearly 30 factors—ranging from home and rental prices to public school ratings and strong job markets—in the 100 largest cities where data was available.

Half of the top 10 cities had median home prices below the national price tag of $427,250 in September, according to Realtor.com data. That’s become increasingly important to families as high prices and rising mortgage rates, combined with increasing rents and inflation, are hitting their budgets hard.

“People are looking at home prices, the cost of living, inflation, and child care. They’re looking for places that maximize their budgets,” says Doug Ressler, manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix. The top cities on the list “have access to good schools and amenities outside the house like parks, recreation, and restaurants.”

Plano, TX, about 20 miles north of Dallas, was named the best city for families thanks to its top schools, strong local economy, and variety of family-friendly activities. The median home list price in the city was $551,000 in September, according to Realtor.com.

The city was followed by Virginia Beach, VA, which has good schools, plenty of playgrounds, and low crime. The median home price in the sunny city on the coast was $385,000.

Rounding out the top three was Lincoln, NE, one of the more affordable cities on the list with a median price of $382,000. The growing capital of Nebraska also boasts reasonable rental prices, short commutes to work, and a plethora of parks.