The Top Ten Cities in SoCal to Raise Kids; Find Out Where Lake Forest Ranks

Lake Forest is one of the best cities in California to raise a family. (But you knew that, right?).

So says website CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and financial education website. It took five important variables to come up with what it considers a good place to raise kids. Those were:

1. Education: The percentage of high school graduates
2. Work-life balance: Average commute time
3. Family-friendly: The percentage of households with children under 18
4. Stable community: The percentage of people residing in the same house last year
5. Cost of living: The percentage of income spent on housing

Lake Forest came in at No. 4 on SoCal’s Top Ten.

“The local housing market features an eclectic mix of upscale homes, sprawling ranches and luxury apartments, so you’re sure to find something that fits your budget.,” says CreditDonkey.

The No. 1 city to raise a family is Poway, according to CreditDonkey. Other Orange County cities that made the list were Rancho Santa Margarita (No. 6), and Cypress (No. 8).

And if you’re curious how Lake Forest stacks in those five categories, here are the answers:

• High school graduate or higher: 92.6 percent
  
• Commute time: 25.7 minutes
  
• Households with children under 18: 36.8 percent
  
• Residing in same home: 89.1 percent
  
• Income spent on housing: 26.6 percent

PHOTO Patch file photo.