Do you have fond memories of where you grew up? Is the town the kind of place you would want to raise your children in? So where are the communities that rank high on great places to raise children? Let's see what the survey says.

Homebuyers who are parents are always on the look out for the perfect place to raise their children. Places that have excellent schools are often preferred, and in many cases, is a major factor in deciding where to buy a home. While school quality is important, there other many other factors that buyers consider when selecting a residential neighborhood.

Andrew Schiller, a geographer and founder of Location Inc., conducted a study that ranked the top 10 family-friendly metro areas in USA. The rankings were derived using six criteria that included: the availability of good schools, low crime rate, high home ownership rates, high numbers of residents with college degrees, and the percentage of families with children and single-family homes.

When a community has high ownership rates, it reflects an investment in the location by the residents, which is a positive aspect. A high number of college-educated residents in a community increases the likelihood of greater community involvement in the schools, which contributes to school quality. Homebuyers with children value communities that already have a lot of children. The social network for both the children and parents are great in such communities.

In the study, Schiller made out two lists, one that considered home prices and one that did not. The research was conducted twice for each metro area, once without considering cost, and the second time considering reasonably priced areas. This way, the study was expected to reflect the top 10 choices and the best value communities in the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas for raising children.

When home values were not a factor, the top locales for families with children in the top 10 largest U.S. metropolitan areas were:

1.In the Boston metro area: Sudbury, Massachusetts.
2.In the New York metro area: Manhasset, New York
3.In the Philadelphia area: Richboro, Pennsylvania
4.In the Washington area: Potomac, Maryland
5.In the Detroit area: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
6.In the Chicago area: Lake Forest, Illinois
7.In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Highland Park, Texas
8.In the Houston area: Sugar Land, Texas
9.In the San Francisco Bay area: Los Altos, California
10.In the Los Angeles area: Moorpark, California

When home prices were considered, the top 10 locales for families with children based on the best home values were:

1.In the Boston metro area: Holden, Massachusetts
2.In the New York metro area: Andover, New Jersey
3.In the Philadelphia area: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
4.In the Washington area: Columbia, Maryland
5.In the Detroit area: Troy, Michigan
6.In the Chicago area: Wheeling, Illinois
7.In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Richardson, Texas
8.In the Houston area: Stafford, Texas
9.In the San Francisco Bay area: Suisun City, California
10.In the Los Angeles area: Simi Valley, California

If you are considering buying a home, be sure to seek out the services of a local real estate agent who can advise you about the pros and cons of particular communities based on your preferences.