Posted by: Richie Bernardo

It’s home to some of the wettest places in the U.S., but Washington State boasts enough sunny qualities to make it livable for parents and their kids. This Pacific Northwest state simply has everything a family could dream of: a healthy job market paired with big paychecks, high educational attainment, a natural environment that promotes an active lifestyle and more.

To start off the list, Washingtonians earn the 9th highest per-capita personal income in the U.S. As a bonus, they don’t have to pay state individual income tax. Those who aspire to work for some of America’s biggest and most admired employers will also be pleased to know that Amazon, Costco, Microsoft and Starbucks are all headquartered here.

Besides being one of the rainiest, Washington’s one of the brainiest, too. And it isn’t nicknamed the “Evergreen State” for no reason. The state’s endless possibilities for outdoor fun, such as abundant forests, a coastline and mountains, complete this family-friendly package.

But certain places in Washington offer more of these positive qualities compared with other cities in the state. For a local breakdown of the best, WalletHub compared 114 of the largest Washington cities based on 21 key indicators of a suitable environment for raising children. Our data set ranges from median family income to school-system quality to housing affordability. Read on for our findings, expert insight and advice on family matters, as well as our full methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask The Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/34120/geochart-wa-families.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2pG8cft>  

Best Places to Raise a Family in Washington State

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	‘Family Life & Fun’ Rank	‘Education, Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socioeconomics’ Rank
1	West Richland, WA	73.66	21	24	1	31
2	Snoqualmie, WA	68.52	24	4	4	17
3	Sammamish, WA	65.54	70	3	12	8
4	Bainbridge Island, WA	64.96	82	1	27	30
5	Richland, WA	63.40	35	38	2	75
6	Woodinville, WA	63.30	12	14	34	45
7	Pullman, WA	63.08	20	2	7	88
8	Maple Valley, WA	62.97	76	16	10	9
9	Tumwater, WA	62.87	23	23	9	63
10	Camas, WA	62.68	18	7	16	61
11	Kirkland, WA	62.38	33	6	51	23
12	Bothell East, WA	61.90	29	58	44	1
13	Newcastle, WA	61.47	77	11	19	16
14	Redmond, WA	61.06	27	20	45	34
15	Issaquah, WA	60.94	40	17	40	32
16	Oak Harbor, WA	59.67	4	5	88	65
17	Cottage Lake, WA	59.62	72	87	15	5
18	Fort Lewis, WA	59.18	1	48	113	2
19	Union Hill-Novelty Hill, WA	59.16	56	62	33	6
20	Lake Tapps, WA	58.70	100	64	3	27
21	Lacey, WA	58.67	22	47	28	49
22	Kenmore, WA	58.62	41	33	55	25
23	Bonney Lake, WA	58.60	102	29	8	38
24	Poulsbo, WA	57.77	58	9	68	51
25	Silver Firs, WA	57.69	45	76	58	4
26	Mercer Island, WA	57.60	66	8	70	28
27	Olympia, WA	57.48	3	50	24	86
28	Washougal, WA	57.32	65	18	47	46
29	Bellevue, WA	57.24	16	19	98	53
30	Wenatchee, WA	56.77	25	37	41	73
31	Artondale, WA	56.43	88	94	20	11
32	Mill Creek East, WA	56.30	34	80	52	20
33	Ferndale, WA	56.21	37	35	18	80
34	Edgewood, WA	56.05	112	41	25	7
35	Anacortes, WA	55.98	55	27	65	58
36	Lynden, WA	55.88	90	28	56	24
37	Covington, WA	55.72	107	46	21	19
38	Kennewick, WA	55.54	32	56	5	79
39	Salmon Creek, WA	55.25	44	65	35	44
40	Bothell, WA	55.21	81	22	60	47
41	Silverdale, WA	55.05	68	12	61	33
42	Port Orchard, WA	54.99	10	44	46	89
43	Pasco, WA	54.83	8	52	22	95
44	Battle Ground, WA	54.72	43	31	71	59
45	Spokane Valley, WA	54.56	47	68	6	69
46	Grandview, WA	54.52	6	34	72	92
47	Lake Forest Park, WA	54.47	113	21	57	14
48	Frederickson, WA	54.44	79	92	13	41
49	Fairwood (King County), WA	54.30	62	74	59	12
50	Mukilteo, WA	54.15	97	30	77	21
51	Ellensburg, WA	54.08	19	15	23	108
52	Walla Walla, WA	53.86	7	55	26	101
53	Prairie Ridge, WA	53.61	105	67	17	43
54	South Hill, WA	53.10	92	89	14	29
55	Maltby, WA	52.97	104	83	67	3
56	University Place, WA	51.44	88	25	62	76
57	Mill Creek, WA	51.43	98	40	81	18
58	Mount Vernon, WA	51.29	30	54	49	87
59	Camano, WA	51.20	114	10	42	22
60	Lake Stevens, WA	51.20	84	26	93	48
61	Orchards, WA	51.08	48	97	38	62
62	Minnehaha, WA	50.82	51	106	43	55
63	Shoreline, WA	50.80	74	45	90	35
64	Seattle, WA	50.72	17	85	85	56
65	Monroe, WA	50.57	26	66	95	52
66	Lakeland South, WA	50.37	78	98	48	36
67	Eastmont, WA	50.37	71	111	73	13
68	Moses Lake, WA	49.94	15	79	31	99
69	Five Corners, WA	49.88	38	70	76	66
70	Graham, WA	49.80	103	77	29	54
71	Cheney, WA	49.71	42	36	30	107
72	Arlington, WA	49.63	80	75	63	37
73	Lake Morton-Berrydale, WA	49.58	111	114	32	10
74	Enumclaw, WA	49.36	91	13	79	91
75	Bellingham, WA	49.26	14	71	87	84
76	Puyallup, WA	49.23	52	69	37	82
77	Edmonds, WA	49.22	108	42	103	26
78	Bothell West, WA	49.06	67	110	80	15
79	Sunnyside, WA	48.52	2	51	86	112
80	Spokane, WA	48.47	13	107	11	97
81	East Wenatchee, WA	48.00	46	32	91	102
82	Vancouver, WA	47.84	28	61	99	81
83	East Renton Highlands, WA	47.53	101	100	69	40
84	Lakeland North, WA	47.48	109	100	54	42
85	Mountlake Terrace, WA	47.16	49	43	107	64
86	Bremerton, WA	46.86	39	53	83	94
87	Renton, WA	46.69	73	57	101	57
88	Marysville, WA	46.56	96	73	78	50
89	Aberdeen, WA	46.23	36	60	36	110
90	Elk Plain, WA	45.55	110	89	39	72
91	Longview, WA	45.28	64	39	82	106
92	Yakima, WA	45.24	5	108	74	98
93	Auburn, WA	45.07	87	88	66	67
94	Martha Lake, WA	45.05	69	91	104	39
95	Sedro-Woolley, WA	44.87	53	59	50	104
96	Des Moines, WA	44.77	106	63	96	60
97	Kelso, WA	44.21	31	49	89	109
98	Tacoma, WA	44.16	11	112	64	100
99	Port Angeles, WA	43.64	9	95	92	105
100	Spanaway, WA	42.59	94	105	53	85
101	Hazel Dell, WA	42.48	50	86	100	83
102	Federal Way, WA	42.42	99	82	97	68
103	Kent, WA	41.26	93	93	94	74
104	Parkland, WA	38.60	86	81	84	103
105	North Lynnwood, WA	38.18	61	78	110	77
106	Burien, WA	38.09	85	102	106	71
107	Lynnwood, WA	37.76	57	99	112	70
108	Centralia, WA	37.57	59	96	75	111
109	SeaTac, WA	37.56	63	103	108	78
110	Everett, WA	37.27	60	84	111	90
111	Lakewood, WA	35.38	95	109	102	96
112	Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA	35.27	83	104	105	93
113	Tukwila, WA	27.57	54	113	109	113
114	White Center, WA	23.77	75	72	114	114

Ask The Experts

Families share a number of common priorities when choosing a new place to call home. With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts in fields such as family studies and public health to share their insight regarding the process of evaluating prospective Washington cities on a family’s shortlist. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Washington?
2. How can local officials in Washington make their cities more attractive to young families?
3. Looking just within Washington, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city in which they live?

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• Katherine Camacho Professor & DNP Internship Coordinator in the College of Nursing at Seattle University
• Deanna Trella Associate Professor and Director of the Children's Studies Program at Eastern Washington University
• Cynthia Johnson Associate Professor and Director of Principal Certification in the School of Education at Gonzaga University

Methodology

To help families find the best Washington cities in which to settle down, WalletHub compared 114 cities in the state across four key dimensions: 1) Family Life & Fun, 2) Education, Health & Safety, 3) Affordability and 4) Socioeconomics. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the four dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most suitable conditions for family life.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Family Life & Fun – Total Points: 25

• Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: “Attractions” includes, for instance, museums, theaters and zoos.
• Share of Families with Children Aged 0 to 17 Years: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
• Weather: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: Based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking.
• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Education, Health & Safety – Total Points: 25

• Quality of School System: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• High School Graduation Rate: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
• Air Quality: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Children: Full Weight (~2.94 Points) Note: This metric refers to the share of children aged 0 to 18 years lacking health insurance coverage.
• Violent-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Property-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)

Affordability – Total Points: 25

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Family Income.
• General Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Cost-of-Living Index.

Socioeconomics – Total Points: 25

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Families Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Households Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, County Health Rankings, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Renwood RealtyTrac, SchoolDigger.com, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Areavibes and WalletHub research.

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