'Fun and Funky' Royal Oak Named One of Top 10 Best Cities for Kids

Editors at Livability.com have named Royal Oak to a national ranking that may make hipsters attracted to the suburb’s diverse nightlife stick around when they decide to settle down and raise a family.

Royal Oak is a Top 10 Best City for Kids, 2014, according to a news release from the blog, which compiles several Top 10 lists of mid-sized cities considered great places to live, work and visit.

The blog noted Royal Oak not only offers highly-rated schools, playgrounds and low crime rates,but also gives children opportunities to live healthy lifestyles and engage in a multitude of activities with other kids.

“Both parents and children will benefit from Royal Oak’s funky, fun downtown,” the blog editors noted. “The city’s more than 50 parks and fun attractions, such as the John Lindell Ice Arena and Detroit Zoo, give kids plenty of fun things to do. Parents will appreciate the city’s below-national-average crime rate.

For the Top 10 list, editors first identified cities with high concentrations of school-age children, then took a look at how their schools stacked up and analyzed factors like childhood mortality rates, health insurance coverage, crime rates and the percentage of restaurants that feature kids’ menus.

Also taken into account were the number of parks, playgrounds, libraries and recreational venues geared specifically for children, as well as the availability of great options for parents.

“Having kids and when those kids start school are two of those key moments in a person’s life when they consider relocation,” says Livability.com Editor Matt Carmichael. “These cities and towns have a compelling story to tell about why they should move to the top of the list for young families.”

Top 10 Best Cities for Kids, 2014

1. Boise, ID
2. Downers Grove, IL
3. Overland Park, KS
4. Cedar Rapids, IA
5. Plano, TX
6. Carmel, IN
7. Brentwood, TN
8. Palo Alto, CA
9. Royal Oak, MI
10. Newton, MA