Naperville is one of the nation’s best cities for young families, according to a new ranking from the Apartment List.
The ranking, titled “2016 Best Cities for Young Families,” based its results on crime, child friendliness, education and housing scores; by those metrics, Naperville came in at No. 9.
Allen, TX came in first place, with a total score of 97.2, followed by Fishers, IN in second with a total score of 95.5. Carmel, IN placed in 3rd, with a total score of 95.3.
Here is the full ranking of the top 10 best cities:
| City | Crime Score | Education Score | Housing Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen, TX | 96 | 99.7 | 96.7 | 97.2 |
| Fishers, IN | 97.9 | 86.7 | 99 | 95.5 |
| Carmel, IN | 99 | 98.7 | 91.2 | 95.3 |
| Frisco, TX | 86.4 | 99.1 | 97.9 | 94.3 |
| San Ramon, CA | 97.5 | 99.5 | 85.7 | 94 |
| McKinney, TX | 84 | 97.8 | 98.2 | 93.1 |
| O’Fallon, MO | 94.8 | 81 | 95.2 | 91 |
| Flower Mound, TX | 98.2 | 67.3 | 99.2 | 90.3 |
| Naperville, IL | 96.3 | 97.6 | 79.8 | 90.2 |
| Pearland, TX | 79 | 98.1 | 97.1 | 90.2 |
Here is how Apartment List weighted its various factors:
Safety (35%): The Apartment List used FBI data to classify cities with the most violent crimes.
Housing Cost (30%): According to the Apartment List, they used census data to compute percentages of the media renter income required to rent a two-bedroom apartment.
School Quality (25%): The Department of Education gives a good estimate of overall school quality. Cities were categorized on public school district’s high school graduation rate.
Child Friendliness (10%): The Apartment List used census data to identify the percentage of friendly communities. Communities with a higher percentage of children are usually seen as ‘child friendly.’