Worst:
1. Detroit, Michigan. The city of Detroit has by far the lowest graduation rate, with only a dismal 21.7 percent of students finishing high school. With such poor educational performance coupled with its high crime rate, it's no wonder Detroit topped our list. Even its relatively high number of playgrounds (nearly four per 10,000 residents) didn't make it child-friendly.
2. Miami, Florida. Miami's bar scene may be a tropical playground for adults, but it doesn't have many playgrounds for children (only 1.4 per 10,000 residents). In addition, it has one of the worst crime rates and a shoddy graduation rate of 45 percent.
3. Baltimore, Maryland. To fans of HBO's The Wire, it's probably not a surprise to see Baltimore on this list. With merely 38.5 percent of its students completing high school, Baltimore's graduation rate is second only to Detroit's. Its high crime rates make it an even less desirable place to raise children.
4. Memphis, Tennessee. Like all the cities on this list, Memphis graduates less than half its students (48.5 percent). Despite having the lowest cost of living, it ranks as one of the worst cities for kids by having the highest crime rate.
5. Dallas, Texas. Dallas is the first of three Texas cities to make the list, proving that the Lone Star State isn't a shining example of a place to raise your family. Few playgrounds, a 46 percent graduation rate, and high crime allow Dallas to round out the top five.
6. New York City. It may come as a surprise to some, but New York City is actually the safest place on our list. However, its exorbitant cost of living and meager graduation rate (less than 40 percent) still make it a bad place to raise children.
7. Fort Worth, Texas. Not surprisingly, Fort Worth has a lot of the same problems that Dallas has: low graduation rates and high crime. One area where it does do better is in the number of playgrounds.
8. Houston, Texas. Not everything is bigger in Texas. Sure, the dropout rate in Houston is bigger and the crime rate is bigger, but the number of park playgrounds is certainly smaller.
9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee graduates only 43 percent of its students and can't boast that it has many playgrounds for its children.
10. Los Angeles, California. With the second highest cost of living, only one playground per 10,000 residents, and a meager graduation rate, it's no surprise that the City of Angels completes the top 10 worst cities for children.
source:
The 10 Worst Cities to Raise a Family
Best places to raise a family:
1 Honolulu, Hawaii — Schools spend almost $9,000 per pupil, unemployment ranks less than half the national average, and you can play on the island of O'ahu's 125 beaches.
2 Virginia Beach, Virginia
3 Billings, Montana
4 Columbus, Georgia
5 San Diego, California
6 Des Moines, Iowa
7 Minneapolis, Minnesota
8 Madison, Wisconsin — Madison has a high number of pediatricians per capita.
9 Colorado Springs, Colorado
10 Santa Rosa, California
11 Wichita, Kansas
12 Los Angeles, California
13 Corona, California
14 Austin, Texas
15 Stamford, Connecticut
16 Omaha, Nebraska
17 Naperville, Illinois
18 Fort Wayne, Indiana
19 Springfield, Illinois
20 Boise, Idaho
21 Manchester, New Hampshire
22 South Bay Area, California
23 New York, New York
24 Fontana, California
25 Louisville, Kentucky
26 Plano, Texas
27 Oceanside, California
28 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
29 Sacramento, California
30 Ann Arbor, Michigan
31 Reno, Nevada
32 Las Vegas, Nevada
33 Lincoln, Nebraska
34 San Bernardino, California
35 Grand Rapids, Michigan
36 Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina — Median value of a home: $202,733
37 Kansas City, Kansas
38 Fremont, California
39 Buffalo, New York
40 Berkeley, California
41 Cambridge, Massachusetts
42 Kansas City, Missouri
43 Waterbury, Connecticut
44 Syracuse, New York
45 Phoenix, Arizona
46 Albuquerque, New Mexico
47 Akron, Ohio
48 Boston, Massachusetts
49 Escondido, California
50 Fairfield, California
Source:
The 100 best places to raise a family - TODAY 101
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