Recent Family News
The best places to live
Deciding where to settle down and raise your family can be a difficult decision. There is a lot to consider, including location, schools, transportation, parks, crime rates and affordability.Two magazines, Parenting and Family Circle, recently released their lists of the best places for families to live. While Parenting's list focuses on cities, Family Circle's highlights towns that have a lot of attributes that make them attractive to families.
Parenting magazine's third annual Best Cities for Families list ranked Boston at the top spot because of its historic neighborhoods, infrastructure, availability of top-notch healthcare and access to the arts.
Other good cities for those raising kids include Burlington, Vermont; Portland, Maine; Austin, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Arlington, Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Madison, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
When it comes to suburban living, Bay Village, Ohio, ranked first on Family Circle's fifth annual Best Towns for Families list. Others include Vail, Arizona; Lake Oswego, Oregon; Fishers, Indiana; Ballwin, Missouri; Louisville, Colorado; Fort Mill, South Carolina; Longmeadow, Massachusetts; Zachary, Louisiana and Oak Park, Illinois.
While these lists highlight areas that are known to offer a lot of benefits for families, choosing a home often has a lot to do with proximity to work, regardless of affordability. The good news for those who are forced to live in a more expensive location because of their jobs is that they can save money on other necessities for their children by opting for used baby gear, toys, baby and kids clothing and furniture rather than purchasing new.

