The Safest American Cities To Raise A Family
There are tens of thousands of places to raise a family in the United States of America. When parents choose where they might like to raise a family there are many factors that come into play. One of the most important factors is often the overall safety of the area.
Even for parents who need to live close to a major metropolitan area, they hope that the town they choose will not only have a low crime rate but also provide an excellent educational system. Below are the 20 safest cities in America with additional points given for education and amenities.
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a lot of great things to offer, including a great climate and good schools. The very best thing about the town, though, is the fact that it can be a commuter town for people who work in both Los Angeles and San Diego.
In addition to being one of the safest towns in America, it also offers plenty to do for people who enjoy going on adventures. Townspeople can go to the city whenever they'd like, but they can also experience the great outdoors in a number of different ways.
Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan, with a population of 84,000, is a suburb that is close to Detroit. The city, in addition to being very safe, is known for its large number of businesses and shopping destinations.
Troy is also renowned for its very strong school system. In addition to strong public schools, the city also includes the well regarded International Academy magnet school. Business Week has ranked Troy as one of the most affordable communities in the United States.
League City, Texas
League City, close to Houston, Texas, offers its inhabitants the best of both worlds. For commuters who have to travel to Houston, it's well within walking distance. But once the weekend comes, the town is located right by plenty of bodies of water.
League City also features a number of different water parks. It's also in the same county as the popular tourist destination of Galveston. With its location in Texas, League City features warm weather for the entire year.
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks, which is a city of 130,000 located close to Los Angeles, is named for its abundance of trees. The city has made a point of preserving open spaces and offers a number of different parks.
The city is also known for being incredibly safe despite its large size. In 2013, it was ranked as the 4th safest place in the country with a population over 100,000. The town is pricey, though, with a median house value over $600,000.
Allen, Texas
Allen, Texas which is known for its naturally beauty, asks its townspeople to aid in keeping it that way. The city is known to provide volunteer opportunities so that its parks and camps can stay both clean and fun.
The city also stays safe thanks to its award-winning law enforcement team. The Allen Police Department has been named to the Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices Program. The town also features a satellite campus for Collin College.
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina not only offers a close trip to the city of Charleston it's also rife with American history. The town was the site for some of the first battles of the Civil War. Visitors can also see the World World II US Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown.
People who live in the town get a number of benefits outside of culture. Mount Pleasant has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Frisco, Texas
Residents of Frisco, Texas can really take advantage of the city if they are especially active people. The Dallas-Forth Worth suburb is very welcoming to people who enjoy bicycling with over 90 miles of well-maintained bike trails.
Frisco, which features six schools of higher education boasts a great school system from kindergarten throughout college. With a population of almost 171,000 people, the city is also incredibly safe and boasts startlingly low percentages of violent crime.
Lake Forest, California
The beautiful forest dotted with eucalyptus trees and the renowned beaches of Lake Forest, California have not always been there. They were planted in the early part of the 1900's in an attempt to draw more residents and developers to the area.
In addition to the beautiful scenery, the city also features a terrific school system and a low crime rate. The property crime rate is particularly low as the Lake Forest Police Department has made reducing those types of crimes a priority.
Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona is one of the largest areas on the list as the most recent census had its population at 242,000. Gilbert was initially a farming town but it's proximity to Phoenix and affordable housing have built it into a metropolis.
The town is well known for its first class school system. Gilbert, like most Arizona towns, boasts a tremendous climate that townspeople enjoy year round. In addition to the warm weather, there is also very little crime.
Irvine, California
Irvine is another city that boasts tremendously high safety rates despite its large population of 242,000. The town is great for people who like to enjoy the great outdoors as the climate is terrific and there are plenty of bike paths.
Irvine features a large college in Cal State Irvine as well as a terrific education system with five public High Schools that are regularly ranked highly by Newsweek. Crime is not a big issue for the city.
Naperville, Illinois
For people who work in Chicago, but want to live in the suburbs, Naperville, Illinois offers the perfect solution. The city features a riverwalk in addition to a number of different public parks an beaches.
The library system is also one of the best in the country and has been ranked as such for years. While Chicago may have a bad reputation for crime, the same can't be said of Naperville which boasts very low crime rates, beautiful homes, and world-class shopping.
Hoover, Alabama
Fans of college football know all about Hoover, Alabama. Close to the city of Birmingham, Hoover High is such an incredible football factory that at one point MTV had a reality series about the team's players.
Fans of minor league baseball can also watch the Birmingham Barons play at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The school system is great and the crime is low. The town is also affordable with a median income level of around $80,000.
San Ramon, California
Suburbs in the San Francisco bay area are extremely popular for the amenities they offer. They can also be pricey to the point that it becomes unaffordable for most families. San Ramon, though, with a median income of around $92,000 can be more achievable than other towns.
While less costly, San Ramon still offers many of the great things people hope for with other San Fran suburbs. The city has a tremendous school system in addition to a great park system and a very low crime rate.
Plymouth, Minnesota
Plymouth, Minnesota is not only safe, it also has a rich and vibrant history. The town was founded in 1858 and played a role in the American Civil War. In 2008, Money Magazine named Plymouth as the best city in the United States.
11 years later, it is still wildly popular with its residents, many of who commute into the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The city is well known for its particularly good school system as well as being largely crime-free.
Flower Mound, Texas
Flower Mound, Texas got its unusual name from religious settlers who began to settle the area in the 1850s. The town boasts a population of 75,000 people who mostly commute to the cities of Dallas and Forth Worth.
The area is dotted with both bike and equestrian trails which were originally built by the Army Corps of Engineers. The town is famous for big houses that can be purchased at affordable prices and it also features good schools and low crime rates.
Fishers, Indiana
While towns want to be welcoming to any kind of resident, Fishers, Indiana is particularly welcoming to families. In fact, the cities historic Nickel Plate District, was specifically designed to be especially family friendly. The community has also been made to be completely walkable.
Many who choose to live in Fishers do so because of the city's close proximity to Indianapolis. In addition to a low crime rate and a tremendous school system, townspeople can also take advantage of the large number of parks.
Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek, Georgia was initially inhabited by Native Americans. Following the discovery of gold in the town during the 1820s, the town became widely taken over by European settlers. Today Johns Creek, which has a population of 85,000, serves as an Atlanta commuter town.
Despite being so close to a major metropolitan area, the town features a minuscule crime rate. Families can also feel good about their children's education as the schools are often ranked among the very best in the country.
Newton, Massachusetts
Many towns that are close to Boston are rife with history. The town of Newton Massachusetts is no exception. Founded in the 1600s, prior to the American Revolution, the city is only seven miles from Boston, making for a terrific commuter town.
Education plays a big role in the town as there are a number of public schools, private schools and a total of five colleges. Crime is also startlingly rare with ratings among the lowest in the entire country.
Carmel, Indiana
Coming in as the safest city in America, Carmel, Indiana has a ton to offer families. Money Magazine has typically agreed, ranking the town as the best place to live in 2012 and the 3rd best place to live in 2018.
Sometimes referred to as "The Beverly Hills of the Midwest," Carmel is not only affordable, but also offers one of the Midwest's best school districts. Crime is also incredibly low and well below the nation's average.
Mission Viejo, California
Do you have children that love to play sports? Then Mission Viejo might be the perfect town in which to raise your family. In addition to the wonderful Orange County climate, Mission Viejo also features one of the largest youth sports complexes in California.
The town boasts a population of nearly 100,000 and has a terrific school and hospital system to help serve those townspeople. The crime rate is incredibly low and the Mission Viejo boasts a beautiful lake right in the center of town.
