Study Finds Amarillo Not the Greatest Place to Raise a Family

According to a new survey by WalletHub, it found that Amarillo is one of the worst cities in Texas for families.

Let me just say, I don't believe this one bit.  I have chosen to live in Amarillo and raise my child and I think this is a great city for families.

How did WalletHub come to the conclusion that Amarillo is not one of the best cities in Texas to raise a family.  WalletHub compared the 117 of the largest cities in Texas based on 21 relevant metrics that speak to their suitability for families of all types. This includes  the number of playgrounds per capita, the violent crime rate and the divorce rate.

Amarillo isn't at the very bottom of the list but they are in the lower half of all the cities in Texas studied.  Our city came in at #70 our of 117.

Family Life in Amarillo (1=Best; 58=Avg.)

• 82^nd – % of Families with Children Under 18
• 57^th – Median Family Income (cost of living-adjusted)
• 55^th – Quality of School System
• 91^st – High School Graduation Rate
• 109^th – Violent-Crime Rate
• 21^st – Housing Affordability
• 68^th – % of Families Below Poverty Level
• 1^st – Unemployment Rate
• 79^th – Divorce Rate
• 16^th – Average Commute Time

Frisco, Texas was found to be the best place in Texas to raise a family, with San Benito coming in dead last.   Lubbock came in worse than Amarillo at #89.

I am a firm believer that Amarillo is a great place to raise a family.  We have a ton of family friendly activities, we have a good education system and it's a fun city.  I choose to live in this great city and raise my child and I would recommend this city to those families looking to move here.   Take this study with a grain of salt.  I would take it as something we can learn from and help change to make our city great.