2. Madison, WI
What kid doesn’t want fresh air, green spaces and a low crime rate? All of these things can be found in Madison, Wisconsin. The city also boasts an excellent farmer’s market that has that old “community feel” rather than being merely a place to pick up produce. There’s plenty of opportunity to socialize and even listen to live music.The University of Wisconsin at Madison is considered a top academic school and provides kids with the inspiration to do well in earlier grades as well. It’s also included on several health conscious lists. With a population of 240,000 it fits into that not too big, but not to small pocket quite comfortably.