No. 1 Place to Live in the U.S. for Families Looking for Affordability and Safety

The economy is, shall we say, pretty bonkers right now. (That’s the correct scientific term, right?) One day we’re way up, another we’re down, and it’s hard to tell when it’s time to splurge or when it’s time to zip that wallet firmly shut—and this goes double for anyone with kids. However, some places around the U.S. offer families a bit more stability when it comes to their bottom line, and GOBakingRates knows exactly where those rock-solid destinations are. 

GOBakingRates released its list of the 50 safest and most affordable cities for a family of four. Coming in at No. 1 is Fishers, Indiana.

To find the best spots, the team started with a seed list of cities with at least a 100,000-person population. Then, for each city, it looked at the percentage of the population that is age 65 and over, the total number of households, and household median income, all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. 

It then dug into each city’s number of property and violent crimes, which it sourced from the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the U.S. report, and calculated the property crime rate per 1,000 residents and the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents. Next, it evaluated the cost of living indexes, sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces, including groceries, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. 

Finally, it used the cost of living indexes and the national average expenditure costs for a family of four, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for a married couple with children (oldest child 6 to 17), and calculated the average expenditure cost for each location. It also dug into the average single-family home value, the average mortgage cost, and the average total monthly and annual cost of living to find which places offer that coveted safety and value.

The town, just north of Indianapolis, won out thanks to its relatively affordable pricing, with the average monthly mortgage going for $2,610 and the average monthly expenditures reaching just $2,800. It also has a low crime rate, with .99 violent crimes reported for every 1,000 people. 

The town also scored an impressive 82 Livability score by AreaVibes, which gave it a “B” rating for its cost of living, and an “A+” for its amenities, employment, housing, and, rather important for families, it scored an “A+” for schools. The only place it falls short on AreaVibes rankings is with its average commute, which earned it an “F.” 

Other top spots that made the list include Texas destinations like Sugar Land, which came in at No. 2 and League City at No. 3. Those are followed by Naperville, Illinois; Carmel, Indiana; and three other Texas locations: Allen, McKinney, and Frisco.

Want to see who else made the list? See the full rankings at gobankingrates.com.