Best Places for New Families

People with young children or those planning to start a family often have newfound priorities when it comes to picking a neighborhood to live in. Many families choose to trade the conveniences of the big city for more space and affordability as they grow. Other amenities – including childcare costs, access to parks, the presence of other young families, and healthcare availability – may also play a key role in where new families decide to settle.

With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 830 U.S. counties to identify the best places for new families, ranked based on affordability, available amenities and family-friendly demographics.

Key Findings

Fairfax County, VA is the best place for new families. A short drive west of Washington, D.C., Fairfax County ranks well for childcare affordability, with costs for a family with two children averaging 24.0% of the median income, while housing averages 19.6% of the median income. Additionally, 96.0% of residents live within a half mile of a park, and there is one primary care doctor for every 898 residents, compared to a national median of 1,504.
20% of residents are under age 10 in Christian County, KY. With 14,066 children under 10, the county ranks 52nd best for new families nationwide, with particular strengths in healthcare availability and childcare affordability. However, access to parks is much more limited than in most other counties, and housing affordability is close to the median.
Relative to local incomes, childcare is least expensive in these Southern counties. Williamson County, TN has the lowest relative costs for childcare, with the price of two children in care costing 12.2% of the median income. Oldham County, KY (12.1%); Columbia County, GA (13.4%); Forsyth County, GA (13.4%); and Fauquier County, VA (11.3%) also rank among the five least expensive counties for childcare.
Access to doctors is highest in these midwestern counties. Olmstead County, MN has the lowest ratio of population per primary care physician at just 432. It ranks 40th nationwide for best places for new families. Boone County, IN (474) and Johnson County, IA (521) have the second- and third-lowest ratio of population to primary care doctors.
New families in San Francisco and New York City have the most convenient access to parks. While these power cities have particularly low rates of children under 10, the high prices do yield some particularly high levels of convenience in some cases. New families are essentially always within a half mile of a park – more so than in any other U.S. counties – and both cities also offer some of the best access to doctors.

Top 20 Counties for New Families

Fairfax County, Virginia

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 24.02%
Median monthly housing costs: $2,316
Percentage of population under age 10: 11.58%
Number of children under age 10: 132,191
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 898
Population living within a half mile of a park: 95.99%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 19.63%

Wake County, North Carolina

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 24.33%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,648
Percentage of population under age 10: 11.89%
Number of children under age 10: 141,552
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,157
Population living within a half mile of a park: 94.03%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 19.22%

Carver County, Minnesota

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 28.92%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,826
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.00%
Number of children under age 10: 13,327
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,181
Population living within a half mile of a park: 87.01%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 16.91%

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 26.89%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,071
Percentage of population under age 10: 13.98%
Number of children under age 10: 28,919
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 979
Population living within a half mile of a park: 69.05%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 18.02%

Lake County, Illinois

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 25.39%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,669
Percentage of population under age 10: 11.40%
Number of children under age 10: 80,769
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 940
Population living within a half mile of a park: 84.35%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 18.48%

Montgomery County, Maryland

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 30.61%
Median monthly housing costs: $2,132
Percentage of population under age 10: 11.81%
Number of children under age 10: 124,993
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 742
Population living within a half mile of a park: 94.26%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 20.41%

DuPage County, Illinois

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 31.74%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,763
Percentage of population under age 10: 11.38%
Number of children under age 10: 104,875
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 741
Population living within a half mile of a park: 96.15%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 19.78%

Ector County, Texas

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 24.24%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,068
Percentage of population under age 10: 17.44%
Number of children under age 10: 28,690
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,751
Population living within a half mile of a park: 52.23%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 19.24%

Midland County, Texas

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 17.16%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,395
Percentage of population under age 10: 16.19%
Number of children under age 10: 28,669
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 2,625
Population living within a half mile of a park: 51.91%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 17.95%

Davis County, Utah

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 18.06%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,627
Percentage of population under age 10: 14.77%
Number of children under age 10: 55,114
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 2,186
Population living within a half mile of a park: 55.31%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 17.47%

Salt Lake County, Utah

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 21.34%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,640
Percentage of population under age 10: 13.12%
Number of children under age 10: 155,636
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,311
Population living within a half mile of a park: 73.18%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 20.84%

Collin County, Texas

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 16.42%
Median monthly housing costs: $2,050
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.51%
Number of children under age 10: 149,483
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,027
Population living within a half mile of a park: 63.09%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 20.65%

Nueces County, Texas

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 25.43%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,218
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.86%
Number of children under age 10: 45,321
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,266
Population living within a half mile of a park: 88.53%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 22.83%

Wayne County, North Carolina

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 26.47%
Median monthly housing costs: $876
Percentage of population under age 10: 14.03%
Number of children under age 10: 16,653
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,947
Population living within a half mile of a park: 75.61%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 18.95%

Stanislaus County, California

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 27.21%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,586
Percentage of population under age 10: 13.59%
Number of children under age 10: 74,932
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,528
Population living within a half mile of a park: 85.83%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 23.00%

Delaware County, Ohio

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 22.09%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,763
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.33%
Number of children under age 10: 28,551
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 677
Population living within a half mile of a park: 49.01%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 16.72%

Johnson County, Kansas

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 21.90%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,581
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.14%
Number of children under age 10: 75,530
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 842
Population living within a half mile of a park: 58.57%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 18.47%

Outagamie County, Wisconsin

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 27.81%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,119
Percentage of population under age 10: 12.64%
Number of children under age 10: 24,420
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,107
Population living within a half mile of a park: 58.86%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 15.65%

Cook County, Illinois

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 28.96%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,477
Percentage of population under age 10: 10.99%
Number of children under age 10: 558,967
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,091
Population living within a half mile of a park: 95.27%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 22.00%

Natrona County, Wyoming

Childcare costs as a percent of median household income: 24.76%
Median monthly housing costs: $1,026
Percentage of population under age 10: 10.68%
Number of children under age 10: 8,538
Ratio of total population to primary care physicians: 1,396
Population living within a half mile of a park: 72.37%
Housing costs as a percentage of median household income: 16.82%

Data and Methodology

830 U.S. counties with available data were ranked based on several factors including:

Youth population. The percentage of residents who are under 10 years old. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2023.
Childcare costs. Average costs for a household with two children as a percentage of median household income. Data comes from County Health Rankings and Roadmap for 2025.
Housing costs. The median annual housing costs as a percentage of the median household income. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2023.
Park access. Percentage of the population living within a half mile of a park. Data comes from County Health Rankings and Roadmap for 2025.
Healthcare access. The number of county residents per primary care physician. Data comes from County Health Rankings and Roadmap for 2025.

Photo credit: Grok