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Well I guess I am going to have to move out of Dayton before I start having kids.

Fontana? Corona? Come now, that's crazy talk.

This is really a strange list. I would go so far as to say it's idiotic. What criteria did they use? What are the explanations?

I grew up in Akron, Ohio. It's listed at 47 on the list of best places, one place above Boston, where I now live. I'm sorry, but the idea that Akron is a better place to raise children is LAUGHABLE. The school systems SUCK, there is very little culture, the city itself is ugly, the only passtimes are shopping and getting drunk. Yes, if you live there and are creative, you can find wonderful things to do - just like ANYWHERE. I honestly can't fathom how Akron got onto this list.

"Plenty of museums, parks and pediatricians also contribute to a good quality of life, whereas multihour commutes, expensive houses and divorcing friends and neighbors do not."

And yet, LA came in at number 12.

Then there's education spending being cited for both the best place (Honolulu) and the worst place (Clarksville, TN). The difference is less than $2300 per pupil. Do they really think that $9000 would buy that much more in Honolulu than $6700 would buy in Tennessee?

And Washington, DC, is apparently a nicer place to raise a family than its very close suburb Alexandria, VA. Must be why all those families have abandoned Alexandria for the District. This list is ridiculous.

Yes, Shawn... it's ridiculous. You make a good point about the differences in cash per pupil as well. It should be obvious to anyone that 9,000 in Honolulu is, practically speaking, less than 6,700 in Tennessee.

Naperville? Naperville? As a Chicagoan, again I say, Naperville?

teehee, San Francisco actually made the list at 67.

Good to know Honolulu has inexpensive housing. Riiiiigggght.

And any list that has LA on it is seriously misinformed.

as a person who was raised in los angeles, I have to say that it is one of the best places to live. You're raised realistically and with a good set a parents, you can utilize LA for your benefit. ima be all ghetto right now :EEEEEEELLLLLAAAY!

Yipes, Fontana & Corona?!?

Wichita, Kansas? Whaaaa??? That has to be the armpit of the state. Who the heck did the research for this piece?

I cannot believe Springfield, IL made the top 25! I grew up in Springfield and while I had a fine childhood, the city as a whole is a HORRIBLE place to live!

There is tons of racism/classism/sexism/heterosexism in the city, there is a VERY high crime rate, and the Springfield Public Schools are HORRENDOUS.

Ick. Ick. Ick.

There seems to be a lot of hate directed at this list. While I think that BestLife is a questionable pub at best (Have you ever read an issue? It's junk), I have to say that as a current Des Moines resident it's a pretty great place to be raising my family. It has one of the top graduation rates in the nation (85-90%), tons to do, low crime, and reasonable cost of living. Yes, I realize it's DES MOINES, and not NYC, or SF..... but there's something about the heartland. I'm just sayin'. (And BTW - I've lived in Portland, Orange County, Colorado Springs, and Phoenix, so I think I can offer an informed opinon on this subject).

It would be interesting to compare students' test scores in relation to dollars per pupil spent.

As someone who lives in Indiana, I can tell this list is a crock because Fort Wayne, Indiana is on the list. Apparently these people have never actually BEEN to Fort Wayne, nor were crime and murder, and rape rates taken into account. And the average household income is pretty low and a lot of the jobs are in manufacturing, which hasn't been doing so well with this economy.

I work in Rancho Cucamonga, next to Fontana, so I can firmly say that Fontana is a joke of a city. Worst city.

I don't see Chattanooga Tn on the best list. We were just there over the 4th and the city is crazy with kids, they even have a birthing hospital. Between the mountains and the rivers I don't think you could find a more beautiful place to raise a family. Oh yeah, and it is way cheaper then Hawaii.

I think it's funny that you used a photo of Indianapolis, and it didn't even make the list. (It is a beautiful view of my beloved city, however!)

I live in the suburbs just outside Philadelphia. I didn't realise Philadelphia was worse than Flint, Michigan!