MIAMI – South Florida may have a lot to offer in terms of weather and activities, but it may not be the best place to raise a family.
In the new Niche.com rankings of the top U.S. cities to raise a family, no South Florida city made the top of the list... or even the top 140.
Based on several factors, including public schools, cost of living, crime & safety and housing, the rankings methodology takes in numerous key factors to determine the best cities to raise a family.
Unfortunately, South Florida didn't fare very well.
At No. 145 out of 166, Fort Lauderdale was the only ranked city from Miami-Dade, Broward or Monroe counties.
Fort Lauderdale received an overall A- grade, but did poorly in housing (C-), crime & safety (C), cost of living (C) and jobs (C+).
Miami and Pompano Beach were unranked, but made a list of also-rans.
Here are the Top 10 Cities (plus Florida cities) to raise a family according to Niche.com:
- 1. Naperville, Illinois
- 2. The Woodlands, Texas
- 3. Plano Texas
- 4. Ann Arbor, Michigan
- 5. Arlington, Virginia
- 6. Overland Park, Kansas
- 7. Columbia, Maryland
- 8. Richardson, Texas
- 9. Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 10. Berkeley, California
- 54. Gainesville
- 61. Palm Bay
- 62. Tallahassee
- 64. Tampa
- 82. Orlando
- 90. Cape Coral
- 104. St. Petersburg
- 123. Clearwater
- 126. Lakeland
- 145. Fort Lauderdale
- 154. Jacksonville
- 165. Port St. Lucie