Midwest May Be Best for Families

Big cities may not offer families the best places to live, concludes a new study from rental site Zumper. Midwestern city Madison, Wisc. ranked as the best for families.

Midwestern and Southern cities scored highest on Zumper's latest ranking, which measured cities by median household income, unemployment rate, education and crime metrics. Madison ranked highest due to its population of young adults, strong local economy, low high school dropout and low crime rates, MarketWatch reports. Lincoln, Neb., Lexington, Ky., Boise, Idaho, and Tallahassee, Fla. rounded out the top 10 spots.

The Northeast didn’t make the list. Syracuse, N.Y. came the closest to the top, ranking 25th. Even though many of the cities in the Northeast have young populations, the high cost of housing and infant care, as well as longer commuters, hurt their scores. Other cities, especially major hubs like Washington, D.C. and New York City, could cost parents well into the six figures to raise a family, according to a separate report by the nonprofit think tank Economic Policy Institute.

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