Best Cities to Raise a Family, to Live In

10. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

This little city on the banks of the Big Sioux River offers parents a combination of low unemployment—the city scored four percentage points lower than the national average—and a stable housing market. Sioux Falls managed to avoid the subprime mortgage crisis and rapid new construction that the rest of the country experienced, and therefore never had a big housing bubble to burst. Sioux Falls boasts a low rate of violent crime and was given an A by the American Lung Association for their air quality thanks to negligent levels of ozone in the air. A small city means easy commutes, and you can get anywhere in Sioux Falls within 20 minutes. It's also easy to get outside for some family exercise. Sioux Falls boasts a 10-mile trail that loops around the city, winds along the river and ends up at the beautiful Falls Park where you can witness the waterfalls for which the city is named. In the winter, the park illuminates with Christmas light to transform into a Winter Wonderland; in the summer, families can enjoy shopping at the Falls Park Farmers’ Market which recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary.