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Region in Top 10 as Place to Raise Family

Forbes rates Buffalo Niagara highly for range of factors on U. S. list headed by Des Moines

By Samantha Maziarz Christmann
June 08, 2010

 Western New Yorkers have been saying it for years, but a national magazine has made it official.

The Buffalo Niagara region is ranked 10th in the country on Forbes. com’s list of “America’s Best Places to Raise a Family.”

“Buffalo, N. Y., makes our list in part thanks to short commutes and affordability, but there’s also plenty to do there — its spectacular Niagara Falls is a huge tourist draw,” the Forbes article reads.

The Forbes ranking looked at cost of living, prevalence of homeowner-ship, median household income, housing costs, commuting time, crime and the percentage of young adults who graduate from high school.

Buffalo got especially high marks for education, homeowner costs, commuting and cost of living.

“That comes as no surprise to us and our staff here,” said Paul S. Pfeiffer, a spokesman for Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, a nonprofit organization that markets Buffalo Niagara to relocating companies. “People marvel at the affordability of our real estate. They’re shocked to see, contrary to perceptions of the past, our beautiful neighborhoods, the arts, world-class cuisine, theater—our superior quality of life amenities.”

Upstate New York made a strong showing on the list, with Rochester placing third, Syracuse fourth and Albany- Schenectady-Troy ninth.

The No. 1 spot went to Des Moines, Iowa, followed by Harrisburg- Carlisle, Pa., second; Provo-Orem, Utah, fifth; Ogden-Clearfield, Utah, sixth; Pittsburgh, seventh; and Knoxville, Tenn., eighth.

“I would have to agree that Buffalo has the best quality of life for raising a family and that there are high-quality things to do,” said Donna M. Fernandes, president of the Buffalo Zoo.

Fernandes spent five years in Buffalo and left briefly for a job in California but felt compelled to return just months later.

“It has a real livable feel to it. Even . . . in the [urban] Elmwood and Delaware districts, there are wonderful yards and gardens, so there’s a sense of neighborhood beautification,” she said. “In none of the other cities I’ve lived have there been homes with their own yards and so much space within walking distance of downtown.”

Mark D. Mortenson, president and chief executive officer of the Buffalo Museum of Science, is also a Buffalo transplant by way of Arizona and California.

“Personally, myself, my partner and our son, Michael, moved to Buffalo for the very reason that it is a wonderful place to raise a family,” he said. “We moved here even before we found jobs. We took a great leap of faith.”

Forbes culled its list from the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas, using data from the U. S. Census Bureau, the FBI, Sperling’s Best Places and Moody’s Economy.com.

e-mail:schristmann@buffnews.com