The greatest US cities to raise your children {Guest Post}

Seattle

Seattle has lush vegetation and a pleasantly mild climate. With some 5,500 acres of public parks, kids have a great choice of areas to play in. There is a wide range of good schools and lots of opportunity to move on to college and university in the area. Employment prospects are good, with many large employers offering jobs and careers.

Honolulu

A Hawaiian paradise, Honolulu has low unemployment and a vibrant job market thanks to tourism, defense and real estate, and the crime rate is low. It’s a healthy environment for children, with clean air and schools that have good teacher/student ratios. There are plenty of opportunities for sporting activities, and the beach is never far away.

Ann Arbor

This small city in Michigan has a low crime rate and a very high spend-per-head on education, with a high school graduation rate of over 90%. The city is home to the University of Michigan, and median home prices are around the $300,000 mark. With dozens of parks, pools and playgrounds, Ann Arbor is an ideal place to bring up a family.

Arlington

Low unemployment and high-achieving schools make this Virginia city an attractive place to bring up children. Wide-open spaces and many parks mean that walking and bicycling are popular activities. Median house sale prices nudge the $500,000 mark, but there is plenty of good choice lower down the scale.

Anaheim

Anaheim has 42 miles of coastline in Orange County, California, and provides great opportunities for family fun as well as being one of the healthiest cities in the country. The crime rate is low and median house prices are in the region of $350,000. Beaches, open spaces and theme parks are all on the doorstep.

Coral Springs

With Florida being The Sunshine State the kids can spend plenty of time outdoors here. There is a good range of Florida houses for sale in the area, with median prices a little over $100,000. Test scores in reading and math are well above the state average. Personal and property crime rates are low and there are dozens of public parks.

Lexington

This attractive Kentucky city has many acres of playgrounds and parks, and also boasts a low crime rate. It is the perfect place to live for horse lovers, being home to some of the best racehorse-breeding stables in the world. It has a stable real estate market, with median house sale prices around $140,000 dollars.

Boston

Massachusetts’ major city has an excellent educational set-up, having been home of the first public school in the country. Teacher/student ratios are very good, and crime is consistently reducing. Reading and math get high scores, and there are many wide-open spaces and playgrounds.

Charlotte

A highly-regarded education program makes this pleasant North Carolina city a magnet for families looking for excellent educational opportunities. Couple that with an enormous acreage of parks and open spaces, a decreasing crime rate and good healthcare, and the city offers attractive options for family life.

Toledo

Top-ranking education and good quality children’s hospitals make Ohio’s fourth largest city a good draw for families. Add in a Hippoquarium at the local zoo and kids will have great time growing up here.