Ten Great Locations to Raise a Family

By Don Hampton

Putting down roots. It’s something everyone longs to do at some point in his or her life. We all want to find that perfect place to develop a career and raise our children – not always an easy combination.

A growing number of communities have recognized the value in trying to not only make themselves appealing for business growth, but also as an outstanding locale for raising families. Here are 10 cities that earn high marks from both businesses and families.

Birmingham, Ala.
Located at the center of the nation’s fastest growing automotive production region, Birmingham has transformed itself diligently into a national leader in life sciences, finance, retail and publishing. Entrepreneur.com ranked Birmingham one of the top three midsized cities in America to start a business.

The city offers all the advantages of a large metro center (population in excess of 1 million), with outstanding restaurants, shopping, museums, cultural and historical attractions. Birmingham is an excellent place to raise a family. The cost of living and housing market are among the most affordable in the Southeast. It is a booming metro center that still is so accessible that all it takes is a 30-minute drive to move from the newly expanded Birmingham Zoo to be hiking the woods on Oak Mountain.

Roanoke, Va.
Roanoke prides itself on having a “strong sense of community,” says Anne Piedmont, director of research and communications for the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership. “Everyone knows everybody, which provides great networking opportunities for children and their parents.”

Indeed, local leaders intentionally have chosen to focus on “quality of life amenities” as a pillar of a plan to develop the community. Those amenities are fairly obvious, too – award-winning schools, outdoor recreation, a lively arts scene, short commutes and a low cost of living — all of which explains why company decision-makers are so quick to praise the community.

“Get here while the gettin’ is good,” says Ted Melnik, president of Novozymes Biologicals. “In the next few years, this area will become a hot spot for business expanding.”

Little Rock, Ark.
Proclaiming itself “where the Southeast meets the Southwest,” Little Rock, Ark., is a city filled with art, history and a wide variety of things to see, including a world-class aviation and aerospace collection housed at its Aerospace Education Center.

Little Rock offers first-rate schools. Newsweeknamed Little Rock’s Central High School the 20th-best public high school in America and The Wall Street Journalapplauded Meadowcliff Elementary School’s “pay for performance” bonus program for a “phenomenal” jump in student test scores.

Fayetteville, Ark.
In April 2006, Julie Bensonen gave readers of the New York Timesa first-hand look at Fayetteville, Ark. She wrote about how much she enjoyed the local sights and the city she described as “flush with youth, culture and natural beauty – especially in spring, when the redbuds and dogwoods are in bloom.”

Combine that natural beauty with an extremely affordable cost of living – median home prices are $45,000 lower than national average – and you can begin to see why Fayetteville has been getting a lot of attention lately.

Charlottesville, Va.
Both a dynamic, modern city and one rich in history and heritage, Charlottesville offers a unique quality of life that suits nearly everyone. It is a community full of culture, history and art, with many opportunities for locals to get involved. The Virginia Festival of the Book and the Virginia Film Festival attract thousands of visitors every year.

The region is home not only to three of our national founding fathers (Jefferson, Madison and Monroe), but also the University of Virginia, plus its proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains and all the outdoor recreation one could ever want.

Mount Sterling, Ky.
There may only be about 6,000 people living in Mount Sterling, but that hasn’t stopped the town from becoming a premier location for both businesses and families. Because of the town’s location near Lexington and Interstate 64, many companies have recognized it is a prime location for keeping costs down and productivity high. Because Mount Sterling has been successful in attracting industry, the town has been able to develop an outstanding medical and educational system.

That growth and development has not come at the expense of the community’s sense of civic pride or hometown feel. Mount Sterling has maintained a charming, culturally rich downtown area and a strong record for civic involvement, which led to the town recently being named one of the “100 Best Communities for Young People” by America’s Promise.

Oklahoma City, Okla.
In the early 1990s, Oklahoma City was struggling with a dilemma: invest in itself or continue to decline. The city’s economy was stagnant and it failed to land a proposed United Airlines maintenance facility. To the city’s credit, leaders decided to spend the money to reinvigorate the economy. Through a public/private partnership, they have invested more than $2.2 billion in renovating and creating new buildings, including a minor league baseball stadium, convention center, music hall, fairgrounds and library. These buildings, along with a brand-new series of river lakes created from the North Canadian River, have changed the cultural landscape of the city.

The result has been a revitalized community, poised for future growth. Yet Oklahoma City has remained consistently an outstanding place to raise a family. The city boasts little traffic congestion, low pollution rates, low cost of living and year-round sunshine. 

Overland Park, Kan.
Another community that has seen substantial growth over the past 15 years is Overland Park. Corporate giants such as Sprint, Applebee’s and Farmers Insurance all have either created or expanded facilities in Overland Park since 1990. The community also has gotten rave reviews for its family-friendly atmosphere. In addition to nationally recognized schools, the city has one of the lowest crime rates of any city its size in America.

“Our professionals enjoy an attractive, vibrant and safe suburban setting, great schools and restaurants, fine shopping and miles of walking and jogging paths,” says Len C. Rodman, chairman, president and CEO of Black & Veatch. “Overland Park also provides Black & Veatch with a strong market for recruiting top professionals.”

Howard County, Md.
Howard County’s greatest advantage is its location – sandwiched conveniently between two of America’s most historic and prosperous cities, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. That is, by no means, what makes this community such a great place to raise a family.

The area is rich with activities, culture and history. From working farms that offer family activities, such as strawberry picking and hayrides, to a 200-store mall to historic Ellicott City, where boutiques, galleries and cafes line the streets, Howard County offers diversity not easily matched.

Lee’s Summit, Mo.
A thriving downtown area and more than 2,600 acres of lakes make Lee’s Summit a destination for visitors and families alike. Equally attractive are the city’s award-winning schools, diverse housing choices and proximity to the Kansas City metro area. It is the third-largest community in Missouri at 64 square miles, yet is only about 50 percent developed.

Listed in the top 100 nationally in Money’s “Best Places to Live,” Lee’s Summit has a higher median family income than national averages and lower state income tax rates — all the while maintaining a small-town atmosphere.

As “work-life balance” continues to be a much-wanted, seldom-discovered desire for most of us, it is good to know there are places where it can truly be achieved. These 10 communities have found a way to make it possible for people to thrive in their careers and still put down roots.