NEBRASKA/IOWA - A new study shows Lincoln and Omaha in Nebraska and Cedar Rapids in Iowa rank high as places to raise a family.
Personal finance website Wallet-Hub rated more than 182 cities for Family Fun, Health & Safety, Education & Child Care and Affordability. It included the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state.
Lincoln came in at 11th on the list, while Omaha was 19th.Both cities ranked high for affordability. Cedar Rapids came in 28th overall, and also rated especially high for affordability. Des Moines was in the middle of the pack, ranking 80th.
Some key areas of focus for the study included Air Quality, Water Quality, School-System Quality, High School Graduation Rate, Cost of Living and Housing Affordability; plus Playgrounds, Ice Rinks, Skate Parks, Bike Rental and Mini Golf Locations per capita.
The study did have some rankings that might raise some eyebrows. Las Vegas was ranked 2nd in the country in the category of Family Fun. Another WalletHub study ranked Las Vegas as the "Most Sinful City in America".