And first let me clarify, when I say Raleigh, I’m referring to both Raleigh itself, as well as its’ many suburbs, which are just as good and maybe even better for families than even Raleigh is.  

Two recent surveys both put Raleigh as the number 18th best place to raise a family, one by niche.com, which is based on user reviews, and one by US News & World Report, which is based on numbers and rankings.  

I would argue that’s way too low based on the cities ranked before it, so let me explain why I feel Raleigh is so great for families, and I’ll start with some basics.

Reason #1 – Raleigh is Safe

First up, Raleigh is a very safe city.  As the second safest capital city in America, you won’t have constantly be looking over your shoulder wherever you go.

Now that isn’t to say there aren’t parts of Raleigh where you need to be more cautious than others, but overall, it’s just not something that is a concern on a day to day basis in the city, and crimes in the suburbs always make breaking news because there are so few of them.  

Times are changing since I grew up, but parents can still generally let their older kids play around the neighborhood without worry.

One thing I also appreciated was last summer, crime in downtown Raleigh was actually on the rise, but Downtown Raleigh took it very seriously, putting multiple measures in place including hiring extra security that ultimately drove the crime rate back down by the fall.  This shows to me how committed Raleigh is to maintaining its’ safe reputation.

Reason #2 – Raleigh Schools are Great

Next up, the Raleigh area schools provide an excellent education.

While Raleigh area schools are not THE top in the state, they are ranked very well and prepare students well for college.

The first thing you will notice though is how many options you have, as Raleigh has TONS of private and charter options to choose from in addition to various programs within the public school system itself.  So you will have to do your research to determine the best fit for you and if you prefer, I can recommend a school advisor to help you sort things out.

Another benefit regarding schools, is we have some of the best schools in the nation right here in our backyard in NC State in downtown Raleigh, Duke in Durham, and UNC in Chapel-Hill, as well as tons of smaller, private colleges.  And these colleges pull many of their students from our local schools here.

Alright, now getting into the more specific reasons.

Reason #3 – Comfortable Environment

The next reason is that Raleigh feels homey.  Okay, here me out on this one, and of course I’m bias because I grew up here, but Raleigh feels very homey, comfortable, and welcoming.  Let me explain.

First off, Raleigh is known for its’ trees, as they are everywhere.  The vast majority of neighborhoods have trees in and around them, and many yards are covered in and bordered by trees.  They make for a very cozy feel and great atmosphere when you’re out in your yard playing with your kids, not to mention plenty of shade.

Also, while I wouldn’t consider Raleigh itself overly southern, it’s still in the south and overall most people display the good ‘ole southern hospitality.  

People are very warm and welcoming, which makes for a very positive environment overall.  And your kids will grow up learning manners, as that is generally expected.

So all of these aspects contribute to both a comforting visual and social environments for families, especially children.

Reason #4 – Family Friendly Events

Along those same lines, possibly the most important aspect that makes Raleigh good for families is how much it caters to them in their entertainment.

Many cities are known for their big city nightlife and entertainment, and while Raleigh does have some of that, it’s focus of the vast majority of its’ events on making sure the whole family can attend.

Raleigh and its’ suburbs do a great job putting on events that the entire family can attend and enjoy.  It has things for the adults enjoy meanwhile there are plenty of activities, food, and more to keep the kids entertained.  

There are very few events that I can recall where I felt like I couldn’t take my kids to because of the event itself, but there were a few where I turned and walked away from because my kids themselves were a mess!

So while this may be a negative for the singles crowd, it’s definitely a positive for the families of Raleigh as there is always plenty for families to do.

Reason #5 – High Quality of Life

The last reason I’ll highlight involves the overall high quality of life in the area.

The Raleigh area is known for its’ parks with over 200 in Raleigh alone and over 120 miles of paved greenway trails.  And Raleigh’s suburbs are basically the same, as each have an impressive number for their sizes.  So you’ll never be too far from a trail, park or playground.  

There are a wide variety of sports leagues both through the cities and towns as well as private leagues, so you have quite the variety to choose from.  And, many of them include adult leagues as well.

Raleigh has plenty of indoor venues with playgrounds, jump parks, and more for rainy and cold days, as well as outdoor pools for summer time.

And for families with pets, Raleigh ranks in the Top 10 Best Places to have a Pet in the Nation.

The weather makes it easy to enjoy all these fun adventures, as Raleigh has a good balance of all four seasons, allowing for the best of all worlds.  Except, we could use a little more snow as of late!

And to get to all of these places, you’ll enjoy a pretty easy driving experience, as Raleigh was ranked the second best place to drive in the nation.

Lastly, there are kids all over the place, as since Raleigh is known to be a great place to raise families, naturally many families live here, so there should be plenty of opportunities to make friends.

So explaining why the Raleigh area is such a great place for families is not a quick answer, as there are many reasons that contribute to this, but I hope this video helped you understand the reasoning behind why so many people choose to raise their families here.

For more information on the Raleigh area in general, check out our blog on the pros and cons of Raleigh NC, as well as the best neighborhoods in Raleigh NC.

If you need any help finding the perfect home for you and your family in the greater Raleigh area, our team would love to help you!

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com