The magic question of where is the best place to raise a family, can be answered from several different directions. What are we talking about?

Is it low crime rate, plentiful jobs, affordable housing or a beautiful sunny climate? Why not go for all of the above?

Well, in the real world there are tradeoffs for each of the categories you would focus on. Another category to add would of course be great schools.

I have to say that living here in Sioux Falls, SD covers all the bases for my family quite well. Let's remember that our beautiful sunny climate lasts for around five months each year then goes to thirty degrees below zero. Like I pointed out earlier, there are tradeoffs that come with the perfect spot.

No matter how hard you try, raising a family is complicated, not to mention expensive. For parents juggling concerns about their children’s safety, schools, expenses, and after school activities. And who also need to go to work on top of all this, living in the right place won’t solve all problems, but it can offer their children more opportunities and enhance the family’s lifestyle.

Looking at a study, I don't see my fore mentioned town on the top 10 list. But I see 3 towns that did that are hours drive from me.

Parenting Magazine crunched more than 8,000 bits of data in 84 categories to determine the top-ranked American cities to live and raise a family. Here's the top 10:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Austin, Texas
3. Boston
4. Minneapolis
5. Des Moines
6. Madison, WI
7. Honolulu
8. Omaha
9. Seattle
10. Louisville, KY

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