If you live in Hamilton County, Ind., then the answer to that question is yes, at least according to Forbes Magazine. Forbes recently releas
ed its list of the best places to raise a family, another of those classic magazine rankings destined to either make you angry (how could my alma mater not be on the U.S. News list of best colleges?) or unjustifiably proud (my high school made the Newsweek list!).
As you look at the various counties that landed in the Forbes top 20 -- including Marin County, Calif., Howard County, Md., and Johnson County, Kan. -- you might wonder how, exactly, the magazine's editors decided which places deserved such high marks. Schools were a major factor, in terms of the quality of the districts, graduation rates and SAT scores. (Any place where the average scores fell below 1,050 was eliminated.) Among the other factors considered: cost of living, home prices, crime rate, air quality and commuting time.
Of course, there are plenty of other issues that, for me, contribute to the quality of life for families, including access to top medical care, the presence of arts and cultural opportunities and ethnic diversity. That's why lists like these, while fun to read, don't really reflect everything that makes a city or county a wonderful place to live.
In other words, if your home isn't on the list, don't feel like you're raising your kids in Craptown, USA.
P.S. If you do happen to live in one of the places mentioned on the Forbes list, by all means, feel free to gloat unjustifiably) in the comments below.
Image: Forbes.com
