A recent study by Hastha Kalalu revealed the best U.S. cities to move to with a family. The study examined median house prices, home price growth, and cost of living. It also considered violent crime rates, family household percentages, and childcare costs. Additionally, average house size and multicultural diversity were included as key factors. Final scores were then scaled from 1 to 100 for better readability and comparison.
Here is the summary of the findings:
| City | Violent crimes her capita | Full day childcare 1 child, 1 month | Family/married households | Cost of living | Median Home price | Muticultural communities, index | Family-friedliness score |
| Allen, Texas | 316.62 | $1,050 | 74% | 95 | $506,098 | 33.83 | 98.52 |
| Hialeah, Florida | 198.52 | $840 | 55% | 121 | $454,974 | 100.00 | 96.11 |
| Gilbert, Arizona | 85.51 | $800 | 73% | 119 | $572,870 | 14.81 | 95.33 |
| Laredo, Texas | 321.86 | $1,225 | 58% | 88 | $209,585 | 62.18 | 92.07 |
| El Paso, Texas | 378.85 | $734 | 55% | 88 | $223,200 | 54.77 | 86.51 |
| Henderson, Nevada | 185.11 | $1,000 | 58% | 108 | $484,992 | 20.51 | 86.39 |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia | 137.56 | $1,200 | 61% | 105 | $402,503 | 15.38 | 86.06 |
| Chandler, Arizona | 259.47 | $1,075 | 65% | 114 | $528,147 | 24.43 | 84.60 |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado | 524.15 | $1,667 | 63% | 112 | $449,211 | 9.12 | 82.89 |
| Boise, Idaho | 279.16 | $1,272 | 58% | 104 | $483,501 | 1.71 | 82.43 |
You can access the full research here.
Allen, Texas, is the best U.S. city to move to with a family, scoring 99. The city stands out with its exceptional family household percentage (74%), which is the highest among all top 10 cities, and maintains one of the lowest cost of living index at 95. With steady property values and large homes averaging 2,170 sq ft, Allen provides plenty of room for growing families.
Hialeah, Florida, earns a score of 96, placing second in the study. Setting itself apart from all other cities in the analysis, Hialeah is the most diverse one, with a multicultural community index of 100. It also offers more affordable childcare costs at $840 monthly compared to Allen’s.
Gilbert, Arizona, scores 95, landing in third place. The city is the safest among the top ten, with the lowest violent crime rate (85.51 per capita) – nearly 2.5 times lower than Hialeah – while maintaining the second-highest family household percentage (73%).
Laredo, Texas, ranks fourth with a family-friendliness score of 92. It stands out for its affordable housing, with a median home price of $209.5K and the only home price decline (-0.30%) among the top ten. The city also offers a low cost of living (index: 88), making it a budget-friendly option for families.
El Paso, Texas, claims fifth place with a score of 87. The city’s monthly childcare costs of $734 are the lowest among the ten, with savings of up to $491 compared to Laredo. Like its Texas neighbor, Laredo, El Paso maintains an affordable cost of living index of 88.
In sixth, Henderson, Nevada, records a score of 86.3. Despite higher living costs than some of its competitors, the city demonstrates the strongest housing market with the highest home price growth rate (5.40%) while maintaining the third-lowest violent crime rate in the top 10.
Virginia Beach, Virginia, achieves a score of 86, coming in seventh place. The coastal city showcases the second-lowest violent crime rate at 137 among the top cities which makes it stand out with its safety.
Chandler, Arizona, posts a score of 85, taking eighth place in the rankings. The city maintains well-balanced metrics across all categories, with a high family household representation at 65%, ranking fourth in this metric among the top ten.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, earns a score of 83, coming in ninth. Its childcare costs of $1,667 are more than double El Paso’s rate and the highest among all previous cities. Families looking for more living space will appreciate Colorado Springs, which has the largest average home size (2,760 sq ft)—nearly 50% larger than homes in Virginia Beach.
Boise, Idaho, rounds out the top ten with a score of 82. While maintaining steady home price growth at 3.10%, its multicultural index of 1.71 is just a fraction of previous cities’ scores, particularly standing at less than 2% of Hialeah’s perfect score. Its average house size of 2,311 sq ft is second only to Colorado Springs among its predecessors.
A spokesperson from Hastha Kalalu commented on the study: “Mid-sized cities strike an optimal balance for family life, offering advantages that major metropolitan areas often struggle to match. High concentrations of families in these cities create their own benefits, from more stable property markets to better childcare options. These places naturally develop into environments where public safety, affordability, and community services reinforce each other – the presence of more families leads to more family-oriented services, which in turn attracts more families. The result is a self-sustaining cycle where moderate living costs, strong community ties, and family-focused amenities create ideal conditions for raising children.