What's New
When it comes to raising a family, location matters.
Newsweek has mapped the best places in the U.S. to raise a family in 2025, according to a recent report from SmartAsset.
Why It Matters
The best places to raise a family offer more than just affordable housing—they provide quality education, ample recreational opportunities, and access to child care.
Families in the U.S. have been facing with rising prices for food and childcare as, as well as a problematic housing market. Moving to a new location could help fledgling families stretch their dollar further.
What to Know
To determine its findings, SmartAsset examined U.S. counties across four categories—housing appreciation, students' academic performance, recreation and community centers per 1,000 people, and child care costs.
School performance was evaluated using standardized test scores for math and reading/language arts proficiency. SmartAsset created an average score for each district by looking at the scores for every school in that district, weighting it to account for the number of students in each school. Within each state, it assigned every county a score between 1 and 10 (with 10 being the best) based on the average scores of the districts in each county.
The report's authors then calculated the number of recreation and community centers per 1,000 residents in each area and examined weekly child care costs by county.
An overall index was developed using the above factors. Counties with the highest scores were identified as the best places to raise a family.
Claiming the top spot with an overall index score of 100 was Boise County, Idaho. The county had a respectable 1.05 recreation centers per 1000, well above the U.S. average of 0.45, according to the study.
Child care costs were also slightly cheaper than the average at $120 per week—the U.S. average being $123, the study said.
In second, with a score of 98.53 on the index, was Boundary County, also in Idaho. Notably, child care costs here were more than $20 cheaper per week than the national average. Wyoming's Crook County followed in third.
The full list of cities in the top 10 was as follows:
- Boise County, Idaho
- Boundary County, Idaho
- Crook County, Wyoming
- Valley County, Idaho
- Williamson County, Tennessee
- Park County, Montana
- Rich County, Utah
- Wallowa County, Oregon
- Oconee County, Georgia
- Kane County, Utah
Three counties on the list scored perfect 10s in terms of school ratings. These were Tennessee's Williamson County, Utah's Rich County and Georgia's Oconee County.
As for the county with the most recreation centers, Park County in Montana led here by a mile with 4.01 per 1000 people, far above the average of 0.45.
What People Are Saying
SmartAsset told Newsweek: "While the data overall does not come as a surprise, looking at the top 10 places nationally, Oconee County, Georgia stands out as it delivers affordability, with childcare costs ($65) being the lowest, despite its strong reputation for wealth and high education standards in Georgia.
"Furthermore, its strong school rating paired with affordability makes this county an unexpected gem for families, especially in a region where costs can vary widely."
SmartAsset also said: "Every family has different priorities when it comes to choosing a place to call home; while some may prioritize housing affordability, others may want to live in an area with renowned schools.
"As with every major financial decision, it is important to weigh all the different factors and evaluate a place's long-term growth potential before making a move."
What's Next
Whilst this is the first iteration of the study, SmartAsset told Newsweek that it plans to release annual updates in the future.
Newsweek has previously mapped the most and least expensive cities to live in, and the cities with the worst inflation problems.
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