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2 Delaware Cities Make 2023’s Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family List

By Justin Franiak May 31st

2 Delaware Cities Make 2023’s Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family List

The annual list has dropped and two first state cities have made the list.

If you are a young family, looking to start a family, or looking for a new place to raise a family…Delaware can offer you two places to consider.

WalletHub has release their 2023 list of  Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family in the United States. The list ranks 182 metros across the country.

WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 key metrics that consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. While obviously not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a sense of their options. (WalletHub)

Dover ranked 139th overall. The city ranked 172nd in family fun, 57th in health and safety, 88th in education and childcare, 143rd in affordability, and 154th in socioeconomics.

Wilmington ranked 173rd overall. The city ranked 127th in family fun, 148th in health and safety, 61st in education and childcare, 145th in affordability, and 179th in socioeconomics.

The best place to raise a family according to this study is Fremont, California. The worst….and ranked at the botttom…is Cleveland, Ohio.

See the full rankings here.

Good news for Wilmington however! Wilmington was ranked as the most affordable place to move in the country!

Wilmington beat out Detroit, MI, Lansing, MI, Jackson, MS, and Kalamazoo, MI for the top spot!

Wilmington was ranked as the 54th Best Cities to Live in USA Right Now in that study.

Wilmington ranked 14th in crime and safety, 113th in economy, 38th in quality of life, 19th in healthcare, 29th in education, 77th in opportunity, and 96th infrastructure.

You can read all bout that ranking by clicking here.

2 Delaware Cities Make 2023’s Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family List

Locals Say These Are The Top 10 New Jersey Maryland and Delaware Area Beaches

We’re mid summer of 2023 and we’ve been spending a lot of time down at the Delaware area beaches this year.

Probably like you, I’m a big fan of our regions beaches! I grew up at the New Jersey shore and spent many years hitting all the beach towns of Atlantic and Cape May County. Since those days I’ve added the Delaware beaches and the beaches of Maryland to our families list of regular visits.

When my kids were young, we were day trippers to Strathmere NJ, one of the few free beaches in the Garden State. We also took too many to count family camping trips to Assateague Island National Seashore just south of Ocean City MD.

Now that my wife and I are empty nesters, we enjoy the Delaware beaches. We are looking forward to enjoying time in Lewes, Cape Henlopen, Rehoboth and Dewey this summer!

I wanted to know what beaches YOU (our WJBR listeners) love! So, I put the question up on our Facebook page asking for your favorite beaches in our WJBR listening area of Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

Locals Say These Are The Top 10 New Jersey Maryland and Delaware Area Beaches, picked by our WJBR listeners.

  • 10. Dewey Beach, DE

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeTYXjHOd_v/?hl=en

    Other than the white sandy beaches, Dewey is Delaware’s party town! With great places like The Rusty Rudder, The Lighthouse and the Starboard, you are guaranteed a great time, and a great orange crush!

  • 9. Sea Isle City, NJ

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CgCqhkpOILZ/?hl=en

    How fitting is it that this Jersey shore town appears on this list next to Dewey.  Sea Isle is Cape May County’s party town!  (Well so is Wildwood and North Wildwood)  Sea Isle is known for great off season events too, like February’s Polar Bear Plunge.

  • 8. Lewes, DE

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeMXP2-PV_x/?hl=en

    Historic and a bit quieter than other Delaware beaches, Lewes offers historic charm, great restaurants, a fun ferry ride and a nice bike trail to Cape Henlopen State Park

  • 7. Cape May, NJ

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4LkbagBM8/?hl=en

    Just a ferry ride over from our number 8 beach is Cape May New Jersey!  Victorian for sure, but wide sandy beaches, great restaurants and bars, and you can ride your bike to awesome wineries, distilleries and breweries!

  • 6. Wildwood Crest, NJ

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CdnVAnmMs2U/?hl=en

    Of the 3 Wildwood towns, the crest is the quietest and great for families!

  • 5. Bethany Beach, DE

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CE1R9snhXW3/?hl=en

    Like Lewes, Bethany is also charming and quiet, compared to other Delaware beach towns.  The town has a boardwalk, great shops and restaurants and a bandstand with live music all summer long!

  • 4. Wildwood, NJ

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CfwdREXJniK/?hl=en

    Wide beaches and one of the best boardwalks in the USA!  And a cool mid century motel scene!  Oh those Wildwood Days!

  • 3. Rehoboth Beach, DE

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf6Vy-PuOfQ/?hl=en

    I was surprised that Rehoboth came in as our listeners number 3 pick.   It’s Delaware’s largest beach resort home of an iconic boardwalk, a bandstand with fun music all summer, and countless fun shops and restaurants!  Rehoboth never disappoints!

  • 2. Ocean City, MD

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CfjnfMKLcWi/?hl=en

    Like Wildwood NJ, Ocean City, MD has wide beaches and a very long boardwalk with amazing amusements and the best boardwalk food!  (No trip complete without Thrashers fries!)   While visiting, you must include a trip to Assateague Island just south of Ocean City, and visit with the wild horses.

  • 1. Ocean City, NJ

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ7MbvtFbfD/?hl=en

    I must tell you, Ocean City NJ at number 1 surprised me!  Since we are a Delaware radio station, I thought our listeners would include Rehoboth or Dewey at number 1…but Ocean City  NJ has topped our list of best beaches in Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.  Maybe because many of our listeners have families?   Ocean City prides itself as America’s Greatest Family Resort.  While the beaches are not the widest, the town more than makes up for that with it’s appeal to young families and boardwalk with the best pizza, fudge, ice cream and caramel popcorn!  Special mention to the town just south of Ocean City, Strathmere with free wide open beaches, a great boating scene and the best bayside restaurants!

     

 

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