Texas Dominates Best Cities for Young Families

Mansfield ranked No. 9 in a list of best cities for young families compiled by Apartment List (Photo courtesy City of Mansfield).

By Angelina Bader
Apartment List 

If you are looking for a family-friendly city to relocate to, look no further, since Apartment List has recently published a new ranking of the best cities for young families. So, finding a city where your family will thrive just got a little easier.

Fishers, Indiana, is in the first place overall out of 554 cities that are ranked in the study. Otherwise, the state of Texas dominates the Top 10, with the exception of San Ramon, California, which placed as #3. Santa Cruz, California, is last out of 552 cities, with an F as its overall grade, with the numbers not looking too promising. As of 2017, Santa Cruz had 6,284 crimes per 100,000 residence.

Photo courtesy Town of Flower Mound

Texas cities took four out of ten top spots in the ratings. Flower Mound, Cedar Park, League City, and Mansfield ranked #4, #7, #8, and #9 respectively, receiving A+ grades for family-friendliness. All of these towns are located not far from large Texas metropolitan areas — Houston, Dallas, and Austin. So, while your youngster is learning his numbers and ABC’s, you’ll be just a short drive away from career opportunities and booming tech hubs.

Out of the 50 largest cities in the study, Virginia Beach, Virginia, ranked as the most family-friendly city. Virginia Beach is a resort city, and the abundance of family entertainment, the beach, and fresh air make it a wonderful place for children. It also ranked rather highly for affordability, with median rents being around $1,070 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,280 for a two-bedroom.

Several Texas cities were right behind the winner, with four Texan representatives making the Top 10 shortlist in the biggest 50 cities. El Paso, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth took 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 8th spots respectively.

Troy, Michigan, is the most affordable city for families rent-wise. Statistically, an average resident of Troy spends about 20 percent of their median income from the past 12 months on rent. Thornton, Colorado, is in the lead for safety, whereas Passaic, NJ is #1 for child-friendliness. Additionally, Baytown, Texas, ranked the highest for the rate of high school graduates.

If you’re looking for a place to relocate to with your family, Indiana and Texas are most likely your best bet. With a good mix of safety, affordability, and high school graduation rates, the cities in these two states will help your family thrive. To find out more, check out the full study here.