| Homebuyers who are parents are always on the look | | | | metropolitan areas for raising children. |
| out for the perfect place to raise their children. Places | | | | When home values were not a factor, the top locales |
| that have excellent schools are often preferred, and in | | | | for families with children in the top 10 largest U.S. |
| many cases, is a major factor in deciding where to | | | | metropolitan areas were: |
| buy a home. While school quality is important, there | | | | 1.In the Boston metro area: Sudbury, Massachusetts. |
| other many other factors that buyers consider when | | | | 2.In the New York metro area: Manhasset, New York |
| selecting a residential neighborhood. | | | | 3.In the Philadelphia area: Richboro, Pennsylvania |
| Andrew Schiller, a geographer and founder of Location | | | | 4.In the Washington area: Potomac, Maryland |
| Inc., conducted a study that ranked the top 10 | | | | 5.In the Detroit area: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
| family-friendly metro areas in USA. The rankings were | | | | 6.In the Chicago area: Lake Forest, Illinois |
| derived using six criteria that included: the availability of | | | | 7.In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Highland Park, Texas |
| good schools, low crime rate, high homeownership | | | | 8.In the Houston area: Sugar Land, Texas |
| rates, high numbers of residents with college degrees, | | | | 9.In the San Francisco Bay area: Los Altos, California |
| and the percentage of families with children and | | | | 10.In the Los Angeles area: Moorpark, California |
| single-family homes. | | | | When home prices were considered, the top 10 locales |
| When a community has high ownership rates, it | | | | for families with children based on the best home |
| reflects an investment in the location by the residents, | | | | values were: |
| which is a positive aspect. A high number of | | | | 1.In the Boston metro area: Holden, Massachusetts |
| college-educated residents in a community increases | | | | 2.In the New York metro area: Andover, New Jersey |
| the likelihood of greater community involvement in the | | | | 3.In the Philadelphia area: Downingtown, Pennsylvania |
| schools, which contributes to school quality. | | | | 4.In the Washington area: Columbia, Maryland |
| Homebuyers with children value communities that | | | | 5.In the Detroit area: Troy, Michigan |
| already have a lot of children. The social network for | | | | 6.In the Chicago area: Wheeling, Illinois |
| both the children and parents are great in such | | | | 7.In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Richardson, Texas |
| communities. | | | | 8.In the Houston area: Stafford, Texas |
| In the study, Schiller made out two lists, one that | | | | 9.In the San Francisco Bay area: Suisun City, California |
| considered home prices and one that did not. The | | | | 10.In the Los Angeles area: Simi Valley, California |
| research was conducted twice for each metro area, | | | | If you are considering buying a home, be sure to seek |
| once without considering cost, and the second time | | | | out the services of a local real estate agent who can |
| considering reasonably priced areas. This way, the | | | | advise you about the pros and cons of particular |
| study was expected to reflect the top 10 choices and | | | | communities based on your preferences. |
| the best value communities in the top 10 U.S. | | | | |