Heading to America is the dream of many people, and there are many unique places, so it's no surprise that it's so popular. If you are hoping to move with your family and are looking to bring up children while you live and work in the land of the brave, you want to be sure that you choose a state that supports family life.
A lot depends on your family dynamics and the things you enjoy. Some people are city-dwellers at heart and need to be where the hustle and bustle is, and plenty of states in America never sleep.
Others prefer to escape and find wide open spaces and nature, but irrespective of this, you must find a safe place to raise your children.
If you decide to relocate overseas to the USA, make sure to contact our team and we will be sure to help you move your household belongings. So let's have a look at some of the best states for families in the USA.
1. Vermont
Vermont often tops the charts in various safe state studies, making it a great place to live with children. It has a population of around 641,637, and around a quarter of the population homes with children of school age. You will have to purchase private healthcare coverage in America. Still, Vermont has excellent healthcare provision, and the number of doctors on offer compared to the number of people needing treatment is good.
Vermont enjoys an excellent climate; you see snow in winter, but it's also quite warm in summer. It's a very wholesome American state. You can enjoy picking pumpkins at Halloween and taking in the lakes while enjoying some water sports. Crime rates in Vermont are super low, which is one of the reasons why it always scores highly among the safest places to live in America. If you are looking for city life
2. Maine
Strangely, Maine has a reputation for being particularly expensive; however, that's not true; the costs for living in Maine are smack on the average costs for the whole of the USA. Renting a family property in Maine will set you back around $1750 a month, and the official average price is $1650 a month, so there isn't that much difference. It has a population of 1,357,046 people, and again, there are about a quarter of homes with school-age children. City dwellers looking for the hustle and bustle should consider Burlington and Rutland.
It's a very peaceful state. They never really experienced violent crime, and being so steeped in nature, the instances of air pollution are minuscule, and the water quality is excellent. There are plenty of good schools in the area, and they rank highly across all the states. Again, you can expect good coverage from your medical providers with plenty of qualified staff looking after the population. The biggest cities in Maine are Portland and Lewiston.
3. New Hampshire
New Hampshire sounds like an English place to live, but it's the third safest state in America for raising children. Coincidentally, it's next to Maine, so you could probably explore both and decide once you've been there for a while. It's about the same size as well, with a population of 1,372,175, and there are slightly more families in New Hampshire, with 27% of households having school-aged children. Again, it costs about the same to set up a home in New Hampshire, with the average rent for a family property coming in at $1700 a month.
There are many familiar place names in New Hampshire, with the largest city being Manchester, and in the top 10 of large New Hampshire cities, you will also find Dover, Portsmouth and Rochester. Every town varies, but there are plenty of cute buildings and many things to do, including visiting the many rivers that wind their way through the state. Healthcare is good, and you should have no problem seeing a doctor when needed.
4. Nebraska
Nebraska might be high on your list if you're looking for a slightly more rural life. It's a very safe state to live in, but it does tend to suffer from a long, cold, snowy winter. However, this could be the perfect location if you're considering moving to the States to set up a ranch. The population is 1,951,480, but it's such an ample space that although there are plenty of people in the cities, you can quickly escape the Madding crowd. 31% of families in the Nebraska area have school-age children. It's one of those movie-style lives where you can sit on the veranda sipping your beer and watching the sunset in the distance; you could even have a rocking chair if you wanted to!
The biggest cities In Nebraska are Omaha and Lincoln, and plenty is going on for adults and children alike. Living in Nebraska will also save you money, as the average rent for a family home is just $1195 a month. There is plenty of healthcare on offer, although the population at large doesn't tend to be the healthiest; that might be because they have a hankering for home-cooked food, including stodgy delights like fried tenderloin, cornhuskers casserole and bread pudding.
5. Iowa
Better fans of small-town living and plenty of wide open. Spaces might find the perfect home in Iowa. It has a larger population, with 3,179,090 people calling the state home. 29.3% of households have children of school age. The earning potential in Iowa is good, and residents can earn the fifth highest incomes per capita when compared to the cost of living. It's also got an incredibly good housing cost, with an average rent of $1075 per month for a family home.
Cedar, Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City are some of the biggest downtown areas here, but it also ranks well as one of the safest places to live no matter how many neighbours you may have around you. There are plenty of good schools in Iowa, and you can also enjoy comprehensive healthcare should you need it. It's another all-American, wholesome, family-centric state, making it an excellent option for you to consider.
6. Connecticut
Another great area to consider is the state of Connecticut. It generally ranks about the fifth safest place to live in America, with a population of 3,605,330. Again, around 30% of homes with school-age children seem to be about on par with most places. There are lots of good education options, and the socio-economic ranking is pretty high compared with the rest of the US. Medical coverage, including hospitals, is good, which is always a concern for parents as you never know when a child might become unwell.
If you want to live the urban lifestyle, head for Bridport and New Haven to look for your new family home. It is slightly more expensive here, and you will have to stretch to around $1800 a month in rent for a family-sized home. However, many jobs are on offer, especially in the financial sector, so school leavers should have no problem finding work.
7. Wyoming
This is true cowboy land, and many people worry that their children will be bored being bought up in Wyoming, but if rural living does it for you, then it's certainly worth a look. From a parent's perspective, there are some incredible children's hospitals here, and the costs of living are substantially less than in places like Florida or California. In the winter, when it's not covered in the dust of the desert, then you will find a lot of snowfall, so there's plenty of ice skating, sledging, and snowball fight fun to be had.
Wyoming has a much smaller population than some of our other choices, around 576,641 people. 29.1% of these people have children of school age, so your kids should easily be able to make new friends. The education system seems to be good; find the average rent for a family home is around $1150 per month. The biggest cities may not compare to those of the larger states, but if you're looking for rural living with fast access to the resources of the urban world, then look for homes just outside Cheyenne and Casper, as these are the most densely populated city areas.
8. Massachusetts
A very large state with a population of 6,991,852, Massachusetts ranks as the eighth safest state to live in the United States. It is a cold winter, so you will need to bring your snow boots, but it doesn't get much better in raising kids. 28.7% of households have children of school age, and the education and childcare provision is excellent. In fact, it is so good that they ranked third for health and safety in education and childcare across the whole of the US. There are plenty of things for kids to get involved in, and it's a great place to find work for you as parents.
The biggest cities In Massachusetts are Boston and Worcester, or you could also take a look at Cambridge, New Bedford and Fall River, which all feature in the top 10 in terms of size. However, the cost of living is not as comparable, and it tends to be expensive; take a deep breath because the average monthly rent for a family home is $2500.
9. Idaho
The biggest cities in Idaho are Boise City, Meridian and Nampa. The state's overall population is 1,811,617, and around 32.4% of households have children of school age. Idaho is number nine on the list, and there are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, it is very proud of its low crime rate, and it's in the ten lowest crime rates across all states for violent crime and property crime. So, if you accidentally leave the front door unlocked when you pop the children to school, it's unlikely you will return and find you've been burgled.
Another reason that Idaho is a popular state for families is the number of school-age children, which gives you an instant community of like-minded people and plenty of things for them to do. Financially, it's not looking too bad for life in Idaho, with the average rent of $1400 a month for a family-size property.
10. North Dakota
Finally, in our top 10, we have North Dakota. The cost of living here is fantastic, and that makes poverty rates extremely low. It also seems to be a very happy place to live as it has the lowest divorce rates in the US, aside from Utah. It's a great place for families, and there are lots of family-oriented activities on offer. The education system in North Dakota is out of this world, and it's a very quiet, peaceful place to live. The population is just 773,344, and 27.9% of these homes have children of school age.
The biggest cities, and therefore those with the most resources, are Fargo, Bismarck, and Grand Forks. As mentioned, you can enjoy low living costs, meaning the average monthly rent for a family property in North Dakota is just $1250 a month.
The takeaway
With so many states to choose from, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the safest states and rank well for healthcare provision and education. There are certainly many other good options out there, so it's always worth looking around and talking to other people who have already moved from the UK to the USA. If you want to move across the Atlantic and set up a home in America, we are experts in international removals and would be delighted to help. Why not get in touch with us here at Pinnacle Removals? We can provide you with a no-obligation quote.