Which state is the most family friendly? (low crime, public schools) - General U.S. - City-Data Forum

kdubose · 08-09-2009, 07:19 PM

Which state would you say is the most "family friendly"? As in the best to raise a family... in regards to great schools, low crime, great recreational areas, etc. I know that each state/county/city has its good and bad areas but in general which one do you think has the most to offer?

Thomas R. · 08-09-2009, 08:33 PM

My offhand guess, going by the stats I remember, would be: The Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In 2003 they had low rates of "students in grades 9–12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property." (Minnesota and Iowa aren't listed, but are generally low in crime)

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed

They also were above average on ACT and SAT scores.

ACT National and State Scores for 2008: Average ACT Scores by State
SAT scores by state - USATODAY.com

New Hampshire and Vermont also came out high in those measures.

Rachael84 · 08-09-2009, 08:35 PM

Certain places in the northeast, especially New England where it's a cheaper cost of living and the schools are top in the country.

Bydand · 08-09-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Certain places in the northeast, especially New England where it's a cheaper cost of living and the schools are top in the country.

Hate to break the news to you, but the Northeast has quite a high cost of living compared to most of the Country. Schools are debatable.

Rachael84 · 08-09-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bydand

Hate to break the news to you, but the Northeast has quite a high cost of living compared to most of the Country. Schools are debatable.

Debatable? MA, VT, and CT are always in the top 5 when it comes to the best education in the country. Most of New England is very affordable.

ReluctantGardenStater · 08-09-2009, 11:35 PM

Without looking at any statistics, my gut instinct would be Utah. From what I hear, the school system is fairly good, and the Mormon residents tend to include an appeal to families and family-friendly activities when promoting Utah tourism.

uptown_urbanist · 08-09-2009, 11:58 PM

It depends on a lot of factors, but we've decided that for us it's Minnesota. Cost of living is much less than the big cities on the coasts, yet Minneapolis has enough of a big city feel and cultural amenities that we don't feel deprived. The lower cost of living allows us to actually be able to do things like travel. Public schools, even in the core cities, are good, and there's not the massive public/private division that you find in some big cities. And of course this isn't a plus for everyone, but I like that it's liberal, religion is something you mostly keep to yourself, and there's overall a pretty live-and-let-live attitude. The biggest downside is the cold winter, but it is nice to have seasons. If we were independently wealthy I would be equally tempted by LA and NYC, or maybe Boston.

04JETTA · 08-10-2009, 12:29 AM

kidyankee764 · 08-10-2009, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Debatable? MA, VT, and CT are always in the top 5 when it comes to the best education in the country. Most of New England is very affordable.

I agree with this. The COL thing is debatable because southern and coastal New England is among the priciest in the country, but if you go up to VT, NH, ME and western MA, you can find pretty good deals.

(Keep in mind, Racheal, that cheap to the NYC area can be expensive to folks in other areas - it's all relative).

nycricanpapi · 08-10-2009, 04:16 AM

North East is where is more family friendly. Many great schools can be found at the North East.