Medical Malpractice

What's the best state to have and raise a child?

...I have been hearing Charlotte, North Carolina is amazing on many levels. The factors I'm looking for are: *Decently affordable living *Calm, laid back atmosphere (I currently live in a big city) *Great hospitals *etc... Thanks in advance, everyone!

Public Comments

1. N.C. and TX. have the best laws to protecting children!As sad as it is they also have the best laws on protecting children against other children too!
2. Money magazine puts out an annual issue of "Best places to live in America" Raleigh, NC has been on the list consistently, but look it up on line or try to find the magazine. It breaks down the cities into things like: best weather, cost of living, schools, job growth, culture, etc. It's a great resource.
3. North Carolina
4. Burlington, VT.
5. I like Charlotte. But it is a fairly large city and not as laid back as it used to be. Matthews, which is a small town on the outskirts, would be better, I think. Right now I think we live in the best place. We're at the top of the Shenandoah Valley, so there is a lot of scenic beauty. And we're not far from DC so we can take advantage of the history and the sites but we don't have to be in the middle of it all the time.
6. I read online that forbes.com picked Hamilton County Indiana as the top place to raise a family, and I have to agree b/c I've lived here my whole life. Great schools, great hospitals, nice people, low crime
7. I would go with Somewhere like TX maybe its cause where I live but I also lived in a suburb of Chicago. If you find a city not to big but not to small you kid benefits of knowing people and knowing the town better. They also have a good chance of getting involved in more activities if alot of the kids are. In smaller communities everyone knows everyone. But don't go to small cause then everyone will know when you just sneeze. I Live in Lubbock, TX and Its descent . So that's my thing a small but not to small city. really any state will do.
8. I'm with Sharon M - I'm also in VA, quite close to the Shenandoah Valley. It's beautiful here, people are wonderful. I'm close to the city, but also live in the country. The only downside is the cost of living here. It can get to be quite expensive in some areas.
9. Dallas, Texas