Top 5 Best Places to Raise a Family in the Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to wine country in Napa and Sonoma Counties in the north and the technological epicenter of the country, Silicon Valley, in the south. Not surprisingly, the Bay Area consistently ranks high on lists of the best places in California to raise a family. We combed through data like crime statistics, school quality, and proximity to family-friendly activities to narrow down a list of the five best Bay Area cities for families.

• Palo Alto
  Crime Rate: 8% lower than national average
  Cost of Living Index: 64% higher than California average
  Median Household Income: $127,000
  Median Home Price: $2.5 million
  
  Palo Alto is crazy-expensive, even by Bay Area standards, but there’s a trade off: It’s one of Silicon Valley’s economic powerhouse cities, and its citizens are among the best-educated in the country. It also boasts some cool arts, culture, and recreation for families, like the Cantor Center for Visual Arts and the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve.

• Cupertino
  Crime Rate: 43% lower than national average
  Cost of Living Index: 64% higher than California average
  Median Household Income: $135,000
  Median Home Price: $1.8 million
  
  Another key Silicon Valley city, Cupertino is home to Apple headquarters. Cupertino Union School District has excellent public schools, with more than a dozen receiving a perfect 10 of 10 scores from the school ranking website GreatSchools. Family attractions include the Flint Center for Performing Arts, the Fujitsu Planetarium, and the Rancho San Antonio County Park.

• San Ramon
  Crime Rate: 58% lower than national average
  Cost of Living Index: 38% higher than California average
  Median Household Income: $130,000
  Median Home Price: $723,000
  
  San Ramon is perfect for outdoorsy families and history buffs. Forest Home Park Historic Park offers tours and free, hands-on family activities as well as classes for every age group. The Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, a short drive from town, has hiking trails with panoramic view payoffs.

• Lafayette
  Crime Rate: 27% lower than national average
  Cost of Living Index: 61% higher than California average
  Median Household Income: $138,000
  Median Home Price: $999,000
  
  Just a half-hour’s drive from San Francisco, Lafayette is a nature lover’s dream town. The Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area offers hiking and paddle sports, and the 6,000-plus acre Briones Regional Park bounds the town to the north.

• Orinda
  Crime Rate: 58% lower than national average
  Cost of Living Index: 63% higher than California average
  Median Household Income: $167,000
  Median Home Price: $987,000
  
  Orinda is surrounded by green space, including Tilden Regional Park and Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. It’s eight miles from the UC Berkeley Campus, and you’re only about 11 miles from beach access.

As you work to figure out which Bay Area city will be perfect for your family, keep these options on your short list!

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