Best Cities for Families

A new study from German real estate company Homeday ranks the top 100 cities worldwide for raising a family. The Best Cities for Families Index 2017 asked hundreds of parents and 30,000 parenting experts and journalists globally to rate their cities in 13 categories, including affordability, housing, unemployment, education, safety, transportation, and green spaces. Nine U.S. cities made the cut, with five in the top 50: Seattle (31), Houston (35), Boston (36), San Francisco (46), and New York (47). Washington, D.C. (60), Chicago (68), Los Angeles (69), and Miami (73) round out the U.S. cities ranked.

Best-overall Seattle ranked 31st out of the top 100 global cities to raise a family, with a cumulative score of 7.21. Seattle had the best educational system (11 percent over Copenhagen, ranked No. 1) and had the most confidence from parents polled. Seattle also ranked better than Copenhagen in affordability (56 percent), despite the metro’s single-family home prices increasing by 13.2 percent in August year over year. Currently, Seattle’s home prices are higher than the composite real estate value of 20 major metropolitan areas including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and are twice the U.S. average.

All nine U.S. cities scored 88 percent lower than Copenhagen in strength of maternity and paternity laws, 43 percent lower in quality of health care, and 20 percent lower for happiness.

Some U.S. cities ranked better than Copenhagen in a variety of categories. Eight of the nine U.S. cities on the list (excluding Miami) scored 13 (San Francisco, New York) to 73 percent (Houston) better in affordability. Boston most frequently outscored Copenhagen, including in the following categories: unemployment, pollution, transportation, and activities for kids.