Packing up and heading to another city or country to start again is a significant life change, especially when the whole family is involved. While you may be filled with worries and doubt, the fact remains that some places offer a better quality of life than others. With that in mind, a new study has revealed the best places to relocate with your family in 2020.
Conducted by Movinga, the Cities of Opportunity study examined the different needs of both parents and children when it comes to relocating to a new city. It analyzed the best destinations based on various opportunities including education, employment, and family-friendly activities. In total, the study considered 16 different factors while reviewing 150 international cities. These factors included family-friendliness, neighborhood safety, mobility, living costs by income, healthcare, and paid parental leave days.
The study incorporated opinions from families who have experienced these cities. To gain deeper insights, two additional surveys of parents in each location were commissioned. The first survey explored parents’ perceptions regarding their children’s safety within the community. The second queried whether parents believed their city was a suitable place for families. Lastly, the study evaluated how attractive a city’s family-oriented leisure activities are.
The Scandinavian countries dominated the list. Topping the study was Helsinki in Finland, which earned high marks for the number of paid parental leave days, alongside education and safety. In second place was Québec, Canada, followed by Oslo in Norway, Munich in Germany, Copenhagen in Denmark, Stockholm in Sweden, Reykjavík in Iceland, Calgary and Montreal in Canada, and Gothenburg in Sweden.
Questions in the parent survey regarding neighborhood safety focused on how local parents perceive their community as a secure place to raise children. Ten thousand parents with children aged between seven and nine across all cities participated in the survey, discussing their comfort level in allowing their kids to go to the corner shop alone.
