Dwellics, the authority in U.S. City Data and personalized advice on where to move, today unveils the 2022 Report, Top 100: Best Cities to Raise a Family in the West.
The report analyzes key factors including quality of education, community (percentage of married households with school-aged children), climate comfort (days between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit), infrastructure (number of parks, outdoor activities, internet speeds), safety (natural disaster risks, crime), and finances (childcare costs, property prices, and cost of living). The analysis includes over 15,000 Western cities across Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The report reveals some surprising trends, including Arizona capturing five of the top ten spots. The best Arizona cities to raise a family:
- Queen Creek, Arizona (#1)
- Vail, Arizona (#2)
- Chandler, Arizona (#3)
- Catalina Foothills, Arizona (#4)
- Gilbert, Arizona (#6)
With increasingly more of the U.S. population working remotely during the pandemic, parents are finding that being untethered means being able to relocate to seek out the best for their families. While the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas feature heavily on the list, the state’s two most populous cities did not make the cut. Another report, by Upwork, the world’s largest work marketplace, revealed that between 6.9% to 11.5% of U.S. households intend to move in 2022; many respondents with children cite the desire to leave major cities and move into smaller communities with more amenities for families and working parents. The appeal of smaller cities, particularly in Arizona, is reflected in the explosive growth many of the communities on the list have undergone.
