Explore the best counties to raise a family based on public schools, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, BLS, CDC, and other data sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.
Showing results 1 through 25 of 39
Current Resident: King County is amazing! The people here are very kind and welcoming to others, and there is plenty to do here in terms of jobs, volunteering, experience, recreation, etc. Not to mention the transit system is very convenient!Read 49 Reviews
Current Resident: Whitman is a very calming town. It's small and tranquil. It's very family oriented and that's also reflected on the way neighbors treat each other. The center of the town is a cool place that has been growing and developing with time. You can find a church, convenience stores, bars, cafes, nails salon, the post office, a good Thai restaurant and a lot more. There's also a really pretty park, where kids can play basketball and ride bikes. It has a nice duck pond. In general Whitman is a place for the family.Read 2 Reviews
Current Resident: Some parts have a great view of the water and the plant life is abundant. There are good places to eat, new ones pop up all the time! Many areas have great prices on homes and for renting. There are also discount stores: good will, grocery outlet, saars, winco. There are also events held all over the county. Everything from music, comedy, charity, and poetry. The crime is low and most areas are well maintained. Downtown Bremerton is packed with shops of all kinds and the waterfront frequently hosts exciting events!Read 9 Reviews
Current Resident: The distance to downtown as well as the parks all around the south hill is wonderful! There are many cute coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and hikes nearby.Read 159 Reviews
Current Resident: Thurston County has a lot to offer when it comes to healthcare diversity and community colleges. Currently a student at South Puget Sound Community College and the students, staff, and faculty are relatively genuine in their kindness and hospitality when it comes to student success. With many areas being rural, there is more of nature to be appreciative for. Though the rainy weather can be a bit awful when trying to commute to other places. Overall, this county is one that I have lived in majority of my life and don't plan on leaving it any time soon.Read 8 Reviews
Current Resident: I LOVE Vancouver~ Our County Parks Commission provides and promotes quality of life. We have impressive well-stocked Libraries, lots of citizen educational events. We have an excellent Public School System, Junior College and WSU, Washington State University 4 year respected and diverse curriculum University. Our city WORKS to make it a good place to make it your home generation after generation. Our Police and Fire Departments are well-trained, compassionate, professionals. Our citizens are civically proactive and reinforce good citizenship and community involvement for the values and direction of our city future to be of pride. Also, ther are miles-n-miles of maintained hiking trails or our new Waterfront Park!Read 21 Reviews
Current Resident: Overall Benton County is a dry hot windy place with a super safe family friendly environment that has great schools and a small town vibe. Even though this town can be very conservative and religious there is nice rivers and churches to visit. Many jobs are provided here because of the Hanford site is near out town. If you want to have your kids grow up in a safe well educated area then this is the place for you!Read 3 Reviews
Current Resident: Very small, tight knit community where most people get along. Downtown Snohomish is very fun as there are lots of little local shops that have been around forever. There are two main schools that compete in sports very competitively but the kids at the schools get along very well. All around, Snohomish is a great, small town, it was actually in the running for best small town in the country last year.Read 94 Reviews
Current Resident: Pierce County is beautiful despite the growing crisis of homelessness. It is sad to see so many sidewalks littered with the tents of desperate individuals. But coming to Tacoma is like coming home. People are kind and when the weather is good its great!Read 20 Reviews
Current Resident: There are many good points to living in an isolated area like the San Juan Islands. I live in Orcas Isl. which has everything a person needs. We are also protected from many issues of bigger towns and cities. It’s clean, unpolluted, and usually not crowded. Housing for lower income people is a problem here, despite the fact that the construction industry is strong. I work as a house painter and have steady work through most of the year. Bonus, no fast food joints here means better health.Read 5 Reviews
Current Resident: I have lived in Walla Walla for most of my life, and that's because I was adopted at the age of three from Asia. Walla Walla is a small town in Washington and it is the perfect hometown for me. I can go downtown and hang out with friends and just have a great time. Also, Walla Walla is known for our wineries. We have lots of tourist that come down and go wine tasting downtown. There are a lot of things I can do here too and the sunsets are beautiful.Read 19 Reviews
Current Resident: This area is so very natural beautiful Lake Chelan formed gradually over millions of years with the rise of the Cascade Mountains. Today about 100 glaciers are liberally sprinkled on the peaks draining into Lake Chelan. These glaciers store water through the summer, which helps irrigate the productive fruit orchards in the lowlands Native Americans probably inhabited the lower Lake Chelan Valley for thousands of years prior to its “discovery” by pioneer trappers, explorers, and prospectors in the 1800s. The Native Americans were called the “Tsillane,” later spelled Chelan, meaning ‘deep water.Read 4 Reviews
Niche User: There is the occasional crime but never enough for citizens to feel in danger, or unsafe in the area.Read 10 Reviews
Current Resident: There are a vast number of small businesses that are taking off. The latest local business I visited is called 'Crafted'. Not only does Crafted use other local agricultural businesses for their meals, the aesthetic inside the restaurant is beautiful. Something else that I love about Yakima County is how close we have nature for us to explore. There are many trails, lakes and camp grounds. My family and I are able visit for the day or weekend without having to travel so far to enjoy nature. Something that needs help in Yakima is the homelessness issue and lack of affordable housing in the valley. In order to give back to the community, I have signed up to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. This organization is non-profit and helps build homes to families in need. Not only does it help with appropriate housing needs, this organization works worldwide with natural disaster relief work.Read 55 Reviews
Former Resident: A WONDERFUL county, filled with amazing people, & communities that you’d be proud to call home, feel safe, & establishment of family roots to raise your children in. I think there is only (2) two things to make it less than desirable;1. The distance to the metro area of Seattle for many jobs. 2. The amount of people who are wanting to relocate to drive up real estate! Otherwise, it’s a great place with loads of activities, great cultural diversity, a wonderful music scene, historic downtowns, great locally sourced food, near the boarder, beaches, countless outdoor activities, & just a great place to live!Read 5 Reviews
Current Resident: Skagit county is a small community comprised mostly of farmland, farmer markets, the gateway to the San Juans, a few shopping outlets as well as many tourist activities.Read 3 Reviews
Current Resident: I grew up in a town called Suncrest or Nine Mile Falls there slightly different, but are typically grouped together. The community is pretty welcoming in my opinion, but everyone has different opinions.Read 6 Reviews
Parent: Commonwealth Academy is above and beyond what anyone could possibly imagine for their child. We needed to find a small, specialized school so that our daughter could thrive and succeed. It was a thrill to find such an inclusive atmosphere filled with dedicated administrators and teachers. My daughter has an anxiety disorder and OCD. Every single teacher CARES. The combination of education, creativity and fun that they have created is unmatched. The classrooms are small and kids with every learning difference are treated with respect and patience. Without the chaos and fear of a big school, our daughter got past the nerves that held her back and learned to speak to adults and advocate for herself. She had warm and nurturing advisors who saw her potential and appreciated her strengths - they gave her CONFIDENCE. The education and unparalleled college prep she received from C/A is why she's thriving in college today, and why our younger daughter is now a C/A student.Read 10 Reviews
Parent: My daughter joined Hillside as a 6th grader and is now in her senior year. She has developed critical thinking skills, writing skills, and the ability to work on projects. Through her time here, she has made many mistakes, corrected course, and has been gently guided, mentored, and coached by the excellent teachers at hillside. I am so thankful we chose this school!Read 45 Reviews
Senior: I have been attending GWUOHS since 7th grade. I am now in 12th, so that's 6 whole years with them! Personally, I'm someone who likes to be challenged, so I have loved the rigorous education system that they've provided throughout the years. I also like having the freedom to go to school without the need to leave the house (of course, that's the situation for the majority of us now during this pandemic). Nevertheless, I appreciate having a much more flexible schedule due to this school's platform. I've had a slight issue with this school, however. I would recommend that GWUOHS provides better counseling from advisors regarding courses. I was unaware that the courses I was taking had caused me to advance by 1 year ahead of the other students who were in my same grade. I didn't learn until last year that I was required to return for my senior year for only 2 electives and my final Journeys Symposium class in order to fulfill the missing credits I needed in order to graduate.Read 25 Reviews