[aquadejoe]

So after reading articles in Forbes and USNews, I saw Marquette, Spring Arbor and Ann Arbor Michigan listed as the safest and most ideal places to raise a family. What do you think? Which towns or cities in Michigan would you rank (and please say why) as a great place to raise a family. Low crime, good schools and cultural amenities appear to be the basic criteria in the article. Feel free to add others.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by aquadejoe

So after reading articles in Forbes and USNews, I saw Marquette, Spring Arbor and Ann Arbor Michigan listed as the safest and most ideal places to raise a family. What do you think? Which towns or cities in Michigan would you rank (and please say why) as a great place to raise a family. Low crime, good schools and cultural amenities appear to be the basic criteria in the article. Feel free to add others.

All are tied..

[magellan]

Originally Posted by aquadejoe

So after reading articles in Forbes and USNews, I saw Marquette, Spring Arbor and Ann Arbor Michigan listed as the safest and most ideal places to raise a family. What do you think? Which towns or cities in Michigan would you rank (and please say why) as a great place to raise a family. Low crime, good schools and cultural amenities appear to be the basic criteria in the article. Feel free to add others.

Those Forbes and USNews lists are junk. There are areas in or around every city in Michigan that would be considered "good to raise a family."

[aquadejoe]

I agree. That is why I am posting the question here to see what Michiganders would list as their picks for the best places in Michigan.

[danielj72]

There are many many towns in this state that would be good for raising a family. Too many of them to list, but you can look up critical statistics that would give you a clue. Check on crime stats, check cost of living and check the local schools meap scores. It would probably be easier to list the towns that are NOT good for raising a family in, and we all know which towns would make that list so I will not mention them.

[Coldjensens]

Hundreds if not thousands. You ahve to include townships and unincorporated areas as well.

Those lists are done by people who are horrified by the thought of rural living, so they only include sizable cities. They are not going to look at Tecumseh or some Township in central Michigan.

It all depends on what you consider important for raising a family and what your needs are for work. Do you want water access? forests? meuseums? etc.

They seem to factor in things like mueseums, theaters etc. Those are things that you go to maybe once. What family can afford $20 - $50 tickets to symphony, theater or otehr events on a regular basis. Who wants to go to the same art museum more that a couple of times? You do nto need to live in or even near these major cities to go to such cultural events once in a while.

We live 27 miles from Detroit where there are loads of such events. So far we have attended less than 15 things in 5 years and almsot never with the entire family. Thus, personally I would put proximity to theater, sporting facillities, symphony, etc low on my list. High on my list is forests, fields, water, wildlife. Low crime, good schools are high on my list, but hundreds or maybe thousands of places offer that. What else do you want in a place to live? What do you need in a place to live as far as your job? Most of us are limited i our options by our job needs, not by inability to find a city that offers good schools, low crime or other advantages.

Oh the lists also heavily factor in the list maker's concept of "diversity" This means a mix of recognized minorities, not just a mix of cultures. I see little or no value in teir concepts of "diversity" and you will find their version of diversity in very few paces in Michigan. I do not see a place as being better because i have black, Hispanic or indian neighbors. I do not see a disadvantage either. I just do not care what background my neighbors come from as long as they are nice people.

[beachmouse]

Have you ever been through Spring Arbor? Can't call a Jackson County town with a permanent population of about 3,000 people anything other than a small rural place. So hard to see an anti-rural bias when places like that are on the list.

[Coldjensens]

Have not been there, but I always considered it a suburb of Jackson. Am I wrong?

Of course they probably did not find Jackson to be a cultural mecca unless you count racing or the chess tournament at the prison.

However the criteria that they specify and their typical results as well as the failure to niclude hundreds of smaller and/or rural areas that are just plain awesome tells me that their anlaysis is not in line with mine. I am not sure how you can rank one place above another when so many are incredibly safe, have great schools, great outdoor access and/or water access and a strong sense of community. As someone else said, there is a 200 way tie for first.

[aquadejoe]

I was taken aback by Spring Arbor as well. Sure it's nice as far as clean, safe and decent schools but not much else going on. Too close to Jackson for my tastes for sure.

[FamilyFirstFuture]

Any tips for a family of four moving to Michigan???? All info welcome, tips ....point us in the safest, direction. Employment is located in Battlecreek but I don't want to move into a dangerous neighborhood. An area that has some diversity would be a plus too!!! Thanks