GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids is the best city in America to raise a family according to a new study conducted by Rocket Homes.
The study, which looked at the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, uses several different metrics to decide how the cities ranked.
Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a little over a million residents and about half of the households in the area have children in the home.
Rocket Homes listed several reasons why Grand Rapids topped their list of best places to raise a family. "Located just 30 miles from the beaches of Lake Michigan, Grand Rapids has an abundance of opportunities for kids to engage in culture, history, art and nature at more than 20 museums and the world-renown Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park," Rocket Homes said in the study.
They also noted that Grand Rapids ranked in the top 5% in the country for school system ratings and was named one of the best places in the country to be a teacher.
10 best places to raise a family in the U.S.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Dallas, Texas
- New York City, New York
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Boston, Massachusetts
The City of Grand Rapids responded to the study on their Facebook page and passed the credit along to the "Grand Rapidians who make our hometown #1."
The methodology used in the study looked at seven key metrics: School ratings, crime Rate, cost of child care, amenities for kids, percent of households with children, playgrounds, parks and green spaces and the increase in households with children.
Each of those metrics are weighted individually and and averaged to determine the city's ranking.
Read more about the methodology and see the entire rankings here.
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