These Top 15 Family-Friendly Cities Offer Amazing Outdoor Spaces

There’s no surprise that being outside is good for your health. Multiple studies have shown access to green space, especially in urban areas, to be crucial to the health and happiness of not just adults but children’s development, too. But finding that perfect blend of arts, culture, great schools and beautiful parks and recreation isn’t always easy.

That’s why real estate company Opendoor recently put together a list of the top family-friendly cities around America where parents can count on great family-friendly amenities and the wonders of nature just outside their door. Unlike their 2022 survey, which focused primarily on locales that had a small-town feel with big-city amenities, this year’s reflects families’ desire for community, simpler living and an opportunity to build a network of like-minded families.

This year’s Top 15 Family-Friendly Cities with Amazing Outdoor Space Include:

1. Somerville, MA
2. Berkeley, CA
3. Cliffside Park, NJ
4. Arlington, VA
5. Watauga, TX
6. Chandler, AZ
7. Denver, CO
8. Portland, OR
9. Valley Stream, NY
10. Garden Grove, CA
11. Coral Gables, FL
12. Bellaire, TX
13. Ann Arbor, MI
14. Mission, KS
15. Avondale Estates, GA

While access to major city amenities is still desired among families, like returning favorite Avondale Estates, GA, located just 15 minutes from the center of Atlanta, this year’s locations also offer close access to parks, recreation, and kid-friendly entertainment.

There are six newcomers to this year’s list, including number one, Somerville, MA. Somerville boasts over 60 parks in its small 80,000-person town with an amazing 100% of its residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park. Meanwhile, Garden Grove, CA is close enough (yet far enough) from Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, making it an automatic favorite for kids, and Berkeley, CA boasts 48 parks with kid-friendly spaces like Tilden Park and the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Denver, CO and Portland, OR continue to rank high on family-friendly city lists with more than 300 parks, and Denver has nearly 300 days of sunshine, making it easy to maximize time outside. Kid-friendly attractions are also top of mind in Coral Gables, FL with its Venetian Pool, and families in Ann Arbor, MI love the Hands-On Museum.

It’s important to note that while these may be “the top” family-friendly cities with outdoor spaces this survey doesn’t account for some pretty important factors like cost of living, cost of childcare and access to maternity and pediatric care. If these are top priorities for you when making your next move, consider checking out these Top 10 Best Cities to Raise a Family or this Guide to The Best States to Have a Baby in 2023.