Pretty sure this question came up many times. i currently live in a big city, and plan to move out sometime, and hopefully get married and have kids. here's a checklist that i know: low crime (check everything as some try to hide it as was the case for online real estate sites) mostly white good schools (although i may home school or private school) low taxes average to little traffic power/hydro/gas abundant pretty sure i'm missing many. if you can chime in, or even say a city, cool.