2. Boise, Idaho

Forbes: Best Cities For Raising A Family

Median Income: 64
Cost of Living Index: 44
Housing Affordability: 34
Commuting: 23
Pct. Owning Homes: 29 (69%)
Crime: 5
Education: 1

Life is good for many families in the Pacific Northwest’s third largest city, with lower costs and less crime than the region’s two biggest metros, Seattle and Portland. And there’s the local powerhouse football team, the Boise State Broncos.
(iStock Photo)

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Best Cities For ... Which metro areas suit family life best? We looked at the 100 largest MSA's in the United States, ranking each in seven categories: median income, overall cost of living, housing affordability (what pct. of the market is affordable to a family at the median income), commuting delays, percentage of families owning homes, crime rate and education quality (mainly test scores). Overall, these ten take the prize.
(iStock Photo)

*sources: Census Bureau, Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, National Association of Home Builders, Wells Fargo, Texas Transportation Institute, FBI, Greatschools.org.

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10. Worcester, M... Median Income: 14
Cost of Living Index: 71
Housing Affordability: 23
Commuting: 17
Pct. Owning Homes: 20 (70.3%)
Crime: 17
Education: 62

Industrial downtown lifted by nearby neighborhoods like Marlborough, Shrewsbury and Boxborough. Easy access to Boston and Hartford, and the College of the Holy Cross overlooking the city from the hill.
(iStock Photo)

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9. Cincinnati, O... Median Income: 44
Cost of Living Index: 24
Housing Affordability: 13
Commuting: 36
Pct. Owning Homes: 68 (64%)
Crime: 30
Education: 8

No real weak spots here - upper half of the country in every category but home ownership percentage.
(iStock Photo)

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8. Ogden, Utah Median Income: 16
Cost of Living Index: 20
Housing Affordability: 11
Commuting: 41
Pct. Owning Homes: 60 (55%)
Crime: 4
Education: 67

Spread between high median income and low cost of living is the nation’s widest.
(Yvette Cardozo/Getty Images)

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7. Omaha, Nebras... Median Income: 34
Cost of Living Index: 8
Housing Affordability: 24
Commuting: 37
Pct. Owning Homes: 16 (71%)
Crime: 43
Education: 56

Warren Buffet knows value.
(Kamila Å½Ã¡rskÃ¡/iStockphoto)

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6. Poughkeepsie,... Median Income: 8
Cost of Living Index: 86
Housing Affordability: 67
Commuting: 4
Pct. Owning Homes: 15 (72%)
Crime: 3
Education: 34

Costs are high, but so are incomes. And the crime rate is one of the country’s lowest.
(iStock Photo)

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5. Raleigh, Nort... Median Income: 19
Cost of Living Index: 32
Housing Affordability: 56
Commuting: 54
Pct. Owning Homes: 32 (69%)
Crime: 12
Education: 4

Commuters waste about 25 extra hours a year compared to the average around the country, but hey, that’s only 10 minutes or so a day. Not bad for the top fifth in median income.
(iStock Photo)

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4. Youngstown, O... Median Income: 96
Cost of Living Index: 18
Housing Affordability: 1
Commuting: 27
Pct. Owning Homes: 10 (73%)
Crime: 31
Education: 21

Still feeling that rust belt economic pain that’s undermining incomes, but affordable with good schools.
(iStock Photo)

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3. Provo, Utah Median Income: 33
Cost of Living Index: 10
Housing Affordability: 54
Commuting: 34
Pct. Owning Homes: 59 (65%)
Crime: 1
Education: 11

Housing is relatively expensive, but the overall cost of living isn’t. And no major metro has a lower crime rate.
(iStock Photo)

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2. Boise, Idaho Median Income: 64
Cost of Living Index: 44
Housing Affordability: 34
Commuting: 23
Pct. Owning Homes: 29 (69%)
Crime: 5
Education: 1

Life is good for many families in the Pacific Northwest’s third largest city, with lower costs and less crime than the region’s two biggest metros, Seattle and Portland. And there’s the local powerhouse football team, the Boise State Broncos.
(iStock Photo)

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1. Grand Rapids,... Rankings (of 100 largest metros):

Median Income: 65
Cost of Living Index: 6
Housing Affordability: 7
Commuting: 22
Pct. Owning Homes: 5 (75%)
Crime: 27
Education: 35

President Gerald Ford’s hometown is home to several furniture makers. The public school system is supplemented by several charter schools.
(iStock Photo)

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