Colorado offers many wonderful areas to raise a family: places where kids can play outside and attend great schools and parents don’t have to worry too much about the increasing cost of living.

But which specific communities are the best?

Niche.com recently assessed the appeal of hundreds of communities nationwide. They considered many factors, including quality of public schools, cost of living, crime, access to outdoor activities, walkability, percentage of residents below age 17.

Based on those measures, the top 10 areas to live in Colorado are: Holly Hills, Pine Book Hill, Louisville, Superior, South Park Hill, Boulder, Gunbarrel, Lone Tree, Cherry Creek, Inverness.

Surprisingly, given the harsh winters, the top 5 places nationwide are all suburbs of Chicago: Kenilworth, Clarendon Hills, Long Grove, Buffalo Grove and Western Springs.

To learn more about specific communities, local and nationwide,  check out the full study, which allows you to sort by various factors, such as diversity, safety, best place to buy a house and more!

Photo by Jenn Evelyn-Ann on Unsplash