Urbandale
#1 Best City 78
Urbandale
Iowa, USA
SafetyA
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,021
Median Income$112,795
Cost of Living90/100
Ranking Category
Best Cities for Families
Cities scoring highest for family-friendly livability, schools access, and quality of life.
Raising a family means viewing a city through a multi-generational lens — parents need peace of mind, top-tier developmental resources, safe neighborhoods, and accessible green spaces. Our family-centric ranking aggregates school-district ratings, child-care accessibility, local park acreage, community events, and neighborhood safety indices to surface communities built for families to grow and thrive.
Sharon Phelan Evans (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #2 Best City 80 Vestavia Hills
Alabama, USA
SafetyA+
CostC-
Growth78
Avg. Rent$1,975
Median Income$134,369
Cost of Living124/100
M.O. Stevens (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #3 Best City 72 Tigard
Oregon, USA
SafetyC-
CostC-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$108,823
Cost of Living121/100
Gillfoto (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #4 Best City 74 Sitka
Alaska, USA
SafetyA
CostD
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,498
Median Income$101,727
Cost of Living130/100
Bel Air South
#5 Best City 70
Bel Air South
Maryland, USA
SafetyC
CostC-
Growth75
Avg. Rent$2,187
Median Income$123,653
Cost of Living117/100
Sioux Falls
#6 Best City 78
Sioux Falls
South Dakota, USA
SafetyB+
CostB
Growth78
Avg. Rent$1,327
Median Income$75,970
Cost of Living88/100
Sweetmoose6 at English Wikipedia (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #7 Best City 78 Homewood
Alabama, USA
SafetyB+
CostB
Growth73
Avg. Rent$1,400
Median Income$94,485
Cost of Living92/100
Averette (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #8 Best City 78 Miami
Florida, USA
SafetyB-
CostC-
Growth85
Avg. Rent$2,247
Median Income$62,462
Cost of Living120/100
WeaponizingArchitecture (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #9 Best City 68 Aberdeen
South Dakota, USA
SafetyD+
CostB+
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,250
Median Income$64,405
Cost of Living82/100
Ifly6 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #10 Best City 75 Juneau
Alaska, USA
SafetyB
CostD
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,860
Median Income$101,661
Cost of Living133/100
Project for Public Sources (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #11 Best City 78 Sterling Heights
Michigan, USA
SafetyA
CostB-
Growth68
Avg. Rent$870
Median Income$79,909
Cost of Living95/100
Michael Barera (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #12 Best City 85 Dallas
Texas, USA
SafetyC+
CostC+
Growth85
Avg. Rent$1,412
Median Income$70,518
Cost of Living101/100
Centennial
#13 Best City 72
Centennial
Colorado, USA
SafetyB
Cost—
Growth—
Avg. Rent$2,063
Median Income$131,928
Harrisburg
#14 Best City 75
Harrisburg
South Dakota, USA
SafetyA
CostC+
Growth90
Avg. Rent$1,265
Median Income$108,724
Cost of Living101/100
OceanLoop (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #15 Best City 75 Olympia
Washington, USA
SafetyB-
CostC
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$81,302
Cost of Living113/100
Johntrinh06 (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #16 Best City 78 Hoover
Alabama, USA
SafetyB-
CostB+
Growth72
Avg. Rent$2,175
Median Income$109,253
Cost of Living85/100
Bobak Ha'Eri (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #17 Best City 79 Eugene
Oregon, USA
SafetyC-
CostA
Growth—
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$66,562
Cost of Living64/100
Terry Umbenhaur (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #18 Best City 72 Las Cruces
New Mexico, USA
SafetyC
CostB
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,068
Median Income$55,422
Cost of Living91/100
TulGuy (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #19 Best City 78 Owasso
Oklahoma, USA
SafetyA+
CostB-
Growth72
Avg. Rent$1,214
Median Income$79,036
Cost of Living94/100
Billings
#20 Best City 77
Billings
Montana, USA
SafetyD
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,390
Median Income$73,712
Cost of Living95/100
Chase Via (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #21 Best City 72 Collierville
Tennessee, USA
SafetyA
CostC+
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,696
Median Income$138,598
Cost of Living102/100
Republic of Selmaria (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #22 Best City 82 Madison
Alabama, USA
SafetyA
CostB-
Growth85
Avg. Rent$1,358
Median Income$134,655
Cost of Living96/100
OEP (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #23 Best City 72 Northport
Alabama, USA
SafetyB
CostB
Growth50
Avg. Rent$1,684
Median Income$80,913
Cost of Living87/100
Nyttend (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #24 Best City 75 Elyria
Ohio, USA
SafetyC-
CostB-
Growth45
Avg. Rent$917
Median Income$54,945
Cost of Living94/100
AlexiusHoratius (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #25 Best City 70 Dell Rapids
South Dakota, USA
SafetyA-
CostB
Growth45
Median Income$100,170
Cost of Living90/100
Jerry Huddleston from Hampton, Minnesota, US (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #26 Best City 72 Sturgis
South Dakota, USA
SafetyB
CostB
Growth55
Avg. Rent$1,350
Median Income$54,404
Cost of Living92/100
AlabasterPIO (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #27 Best City 75 Alabaster
Alabama, USA
SafetyA-
Cost—
Growth—
Median Income$91,357
The original uploader was Robivy64 at English Wikipedia. (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #28 Best City 70 Prattville
Alabama, USA
SafetyD
CostB
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,200
Median Income$81,337
Cost of Living90/100
themidnite (original), Yassie (derivative work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #29 Best City 68 Florence
Alabama, USA
SafetyF
CostB+
Growth72
Avg. Rent$1,195
Median Income$52,174
Cost of Living83/100
Hamilton Township
#30 Best City 72
Hamilton Township
New Jersey, USA
SafetyC+
CostC
Growth70
Avg. Rent$2,151
Median Income$100,771
Cost of Living114/100
Illegitimate Barrister Gail Porter - File:NIST AML building.jpg SuperMoving - File:Gaither (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #31 Best City 72 Gaithersburg
Maryland, USA
SafetyB
CostF
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,784
Median Income$112,467
Cost of Living143/100
WMrapids (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #32 Best City 72 Grand Rapids
Michigan, USA
SafetyB-
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,500
Median Income$69,108
Cost of Living95/100
Rapid City
#33 Best City 72
Rapid City
South Dakota, USA
SafetyC
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,338
Median Income$70,870
Cost of Living99/100
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #34 Best City 72 Omaha
Nebraska, USA
SafetyB
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,450
Median Income$73,201
Cost of Living92/100
Hanyou23 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #35 Best City 72 Lincoln
Nebraska, USA
SafetyB+
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,363
Median Income$71,867
Cost of Living94/100
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #36 Best City 72 Des Moines
Iowa, USA
SafetyB
CostB+
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,162
Median Income$47,000
Cost of Living81/100
Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #37 Best City 72 Albuquerque
New Mexico, USA
SafetyF
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,178
Median Income$71,494
Cost of Living97/100
American Diabetio (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #38 Best City 72 Huntsville
Alabama, USA
SafetyF
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,522
Median Income$74,714
Cost of Living95/100
Indianapolis
#39 Best City 68
Indianapolis
Indiana, USA
SafetyD+
CostB
Growth68
Avg. Rent$1,123
Median Income$66,219
Cost of Living90/100
Middletown
#40 Best City 72
Middletown
Connecticut, USA
SafetyB
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,725
Median Income$79,438
Cost of Living95/100
Paragould
#41 Best City 72
Paragould
Arkansas, USA
SafetyB
CostA-
Growth78
Avg. Rent$950
Median Income$56,980
Cost of Living74/100
Flint
#42 Best City 74
Flint
Michigan, USA
SafetyF
CostB+
Growth—
Avg. Rent$950
Median Income$37,646
Cost of Living78/100
Rivers Langley SaveRivers (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #43 Best City 72 Auburn
Alabama, USA
SafetyA-
CostB-
Growth80
Avg. Rent$2,032
Median Income$63,668
Cost of Living96/100
Yakima
#44 Best City 72
Yakima
Washington, USA
SafetyF
CostC+
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,127
Median Income$59,829
Cost of Living102/100
Catlin Mary Ann Miller (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #45 Best City 72 Laramie
Wyoming, USA
SafetyA+
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,149
Median Income$55,613
Cost of Living95/100
San Antonio
#46 Best City 70
San Antonio
Texas, USA
SafetyC-
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,805
Median Income$66,176
Cost of Living91/100
Daniel Schwen (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #47 Best City 72 Bloomington
Illinois, USA
SafetyB-
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,100
Median Income$77,384
Cost of Living89/100
Fort Worth
#48 Best City 72
Fort Worth
Texas, USA
SafetyB
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,525
Median Income$79,507
Cost of Living95/100
Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #49 Best City 72 Austin
Texas, USA
SafetyF
CostC+
Growth80
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$93,658
Cost of Living101/100
JJBers (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #50 Best City 72 East Hartford
Connecticut, USA
SafetyA+
CostB-
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,583
Median Income$70,778
Cost of Living95/100
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