The decision to rent or buy is never an easy one -- especially when you throw a couple kids and maybe even a pet in the mix. But if you decide that renting is the way to go for your growing family, then don't think that means you have to cram yourselves into a tiny apartment in the middle of a hustling and bustling metro.
According to Rent.com, which looked at towns with low crime rates, high school scores, high percentage of family households, high rental inventory and more (see below for more detail), you don't have to get a mortgage to find a family-centric space in these places.
And the best part? The final list features some of the most green and kid-friendly cities and towns in the nation. So grab the kids, pack up and sign that next lease -- or just head to New Jersey, which has eight entries on the top 25 (and won the top spot), so you'll be at least in guaranteed proximity to some family-friendly areas.
25. Wellesley, MA
24. Ridgefield, CT
23. Olive Branch, MS
22. Scotch Plains, NJ
21. River Edge, NJ
20. Smithtown, NY
19. Bedford, NH
18. New Canaan, CT
17. Highlands Ranch, CO
16. Peachtree City, GA
15. New Providence, NJ
14. Los Altos, CA
13. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
12. Wilton, CT
11. Westfield, NJ
10. Mount Juliet, TN
9. Ridgewood, NJ
8. Evans, GA
7. El Dorado Hills, CA
6. Darien, CT
5. Yorba Linda, CA
4. Millburn, NJ
3. Tenafly, NJ
2. Ladera Ranch, CA
1. Livingston, NJ
Rent.com has assembled the Top 25 Cities for Renters Raising Families with the help of New York based Onboard Informatics ©2014, the premier data and technology company. All demographic data provided by Onboard Informatics is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This list is based on cities and towns with a high concentration of family households (greater than 70 percent), population greater than 10,000 and a median household income of $50K or more. Rental data and median rental rates based on Rent.com data; cities with less than 1,000 rental dwellings were eliminated. Family-friendly criteria that were considered included affordable rental rate, low crime rates and high school scores. Cities with high weather risk (risk of tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.) and crime risk greater than the national average were eliminated from the ranking. In addition, the average Public School Test Score Copyright © 2014 GreatSchools.net rating for each city was calculated based on the test score performance of each school and based on a scale of 1-10.
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