North Carolina Cities Top Family-Friendly Ranking

0:00It's March 25. This is Durham News Today. Local news powered by AI. North Carolina cities are shining in a new ranking of the best places to raise families. Durham came in at number 2 nationwide, while Winston-Salem landed at number 4. The list comes from a study by storage cafe, which looked at the 100 biggest cities in the country. Researchers scored places on things like affordability, childcare, education, health care, safety, and walkability. Some stood out with lower costs for health care and childcare, plus plenty of remote work options. More than 20% of folks there work from home, way above the national average. That setup helps families here, with two adult households earning nearly $123,000 a year. Housing eats up just 18% of their budget, leaving room for fun family stuff. Families make up over a quarter of Durham's households, and that number has been growing. Winston-Salem scores big on reasonable prices for groceries, transport, and housing under

1:0023% of income. It also has great parks and short commutes, giving parents more quality time. Other North Carolina spots like Greensboro at number 16, Raleigh at 19, and Charlotte at 28 made the list too. Nationwide, Lexington, Kentucky, took the top spot, followed by Durham, then Madison Wisconsin and St. Louis, Missouri. These rankings highlight how North Carolina keeps drawing families with solid support and real value.