Woodbury Best Place to Raise Kids in Minnesota

Woodbury has been named the best place to raise your kids in Minnesota, according to the fourth such annual ranking from BusinessWeek.

BusinessWeek selected one top city and two runners up in its rankings. Rochester and Eagan were runners up in Minnesota.

Factors considered in the rankings were school performance, number of schools, household expenditures, crime rates, air quality, job growth, family income, museums, parks, theaters, other amenities and diversity. Affordability, safety, and school test scores were given the greatest weight.

Woodbury has a population of 58,566 and median family income of $114,156. BusinessWeek noted its proximity to St. Paul and major employers like the state government and 3M.

BusinessWeek narrowed its list of cities by only looking at towns that have at least 45,000 residents and a median income of between $40,000 and $125,000.

Tinley Park, Illinois won the nation’s overall best ranking this year. The state of Vermont was given an exemption on the population restrictions because none of its cities would otherwise have qualified.