Affordable Cities That Are Also Family Friendly

Commercial business and retail growth can lead cities to become more family-friendly.

Good business often means good jobs, higher local employment, and more household income, which can lead to better schools and less crime.

The California cities Glendale and Dana Point are making strides in that direction through commercial real estate. While they did not crack WalletHub’s latest “Best Cities to Raise Families” top 10 list, they are on their way.

Inflation is leading some families to move to cities with a low cost of living. WalletHub used a data set that ranged from housing affordability to school-system quality to the unemployment rate.

It found Fremont, Calif., to be No. 1 when it comes to raising a family. Overland Park, Kansas, and its highest median family annual income adjusted for cost of living were No. 2; and Irvine, Calif., and its low crime rate took third. Plano, Texas, and South Burlington, Vt., round out the top 5.

Likewise, in Dana Point, its assistant city manager, Kelly Reenders, emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnership between the public and private sectors in achieving successful retail development, according to a recent report by GlobeSt.com.

Reenders believes that retail success is all about responding to the needs and concerns of the local community. For this reason, retail in Dana Point is extremely hyper-local, with a focus on what works best for the residents of the area.

In Glendale, its deputy director of economic development, Soua Vang, highlights the importance of providing resources and tools to ensure small business success, according to a recent report on GlobeSt.com.

San Diego was sixth, San Jose was seventh, and San Francisco was 10th on WalletHub’s list.