A couple of my friends who, somewhat recently, relocated from Texas to Buffalo, send me an article from U.S. News, touting Buffalo as one of The Best Places to Live for Families in the U.S.
According to the article, “These metro areas meet the most important criteria for families looking to relocate.”
The U.S. News article continues, by saying, “Moving to a new part of the country can be a daunting task, especially if you’re moving your entire family. To help you find the right metro area for raising your kids, we started with the Best Places to Live in the U.S. rankings for 2023-2024, then weighted affordability, quality of life and job market equally. These scores combine to make the Best Places to Live for Families, taking into consideration not only the cost of living and average annual salary, but also the quality of high school education, average commute time, crime rate, the area’s overall well-being and access to top-notch health care.”
Cost of living is certainly a factor, but I would imagine that advancements such as the advent of Canalside (with Explore and More Children’s Museum, and the Buffalo Heritage Carousel), with more and more family-centric amenities, should play a large role in this ranking. Our parks, and the Olmsted Parks System, also make Buffalo a nice place to raise families – not to mention the quality housing stock, the four seasons, proximity to Lake Erie, and vibrant commercial districts such as Hertel Avenue. Then, throw in ever-morphing districts such as Larkinville, which is super kid-friendly, and the Five Points area, and we have further recipes for success. Not to mention the Outer Harbor, with the introduction of the Lakeside Bike Park, Wilkeson Pointe, and other unique outdoor attractions such as Tifft and Times Beach Nature Preserves, all of which are super family oriented. The list goes on and on, including the newly-imagined and absolutely sensational AKG Art Gallery. Combine all of these together, and Buffalo has a lot going for it, where families are concerned.
One thing is for sure – it’s certainly not the ease of purchasing a house these days, as prices of residential real estate continue to surge. Attempting to get one’s hands on a house in the city – that is not a fixer-upper – can be a grueling proposition. Of course, this means that there is an opportunity for crafty people to contribute to the further-stabilization of neighborhoods, particularly on the city’s East Side.
These are the Best Places to Live for Families in the U.S., according to U.S. News article:
25. Boise, Idaho
24. Cincinnati
23. Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois (Quad Cities)
22. Washington, D.C.
21. Rochester, New York
20. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
19. Portland, Maine
18. Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina
17. Buffalo, New York
16. Ann Arbor, Michigan
15. Hickory, North Carolina
14.Omaha, Nebraska
13. Pittsburgh
12. Syracuse, New York
11. Madison, Wisconsin
10. Lincoln, Nebraska
9. Fort Wayne, Indiana
8. Grand Rapids, Michigan
7. Albany, New York
6. Des Moines, Iowa
5. Minneapolis-St. Paul
4. Fayetteville, Arkansas
3. Green Bay, Wisconsin
2. San Jose, California
1. Huntsville, Alabama
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