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Nassau claims 11 of America’s 50 Best Places to Raise a Family

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If you’re raising a family on Long Island, the numbers say Nassau County is hard to beat.

Niche’s 2026 Best Places to Raise a Family rankings make the case plainly.

Two Nassau communities landed in the nation’s top 10: Kensington at No. 3 and Syosset at No. 6. Manhasset followed at No. 18 and Munsey Park at No. 19, giving Nassau four communities in America’s top 20 — a concentration unmatched by any other county in New York state.

The county’s presence in Niche’s annual ranking only deepened from there.

Lake Success ranked No. 26 nationally, East Williston No. 29, East Hills No. 32, Searingtown No. 35, Garden City No. 39, Thomaston No. 42, and Plainview No. 44 Plandome Heights at No. 46 pushed Nassau’s total to 12 communities in America’s top 50.

Niche posted the rankings Friday on its website. The Best Places to Raise a Family rankings are part of Niche’s broader Best Places to Live in America 2026 report, which evaluates thousands of communities across the country across multiple categories.

Niche says its uses a combination of federal and local data — including public school quality, crime rates, and housing trends — along with millions of resident reviews to determine its rankings.

Each the top 20 Long Island communities in the best places to raise a family category are in Nassau. Suffolk’s highest finisher, Stony Brook, fell just outside the Long Island top 20.

20 Best Places to Raise a Family on Long Island

LI RankPlaceNew YorkU.S.County
1Kensington13Nassau
2Syosset26Nassau
3Manhasset318Nassau
4Munsey Park419Nassau
5Lake Success626Nassau
6East Williston729Nassau
7East Hills832Nassau
8Searingtown1035Nassau
9Garden City1139Nassau
10Thomaston1342Nassau
11Plainview1444Nassau
12Plandome Heights1546Nassau
13Roslyn Heights17Nassau
14Russell Gardens18Nassau
15Plandome19Nassau
16Jericho20Nassau
17Great Neck Plaza22Nassau
18Kings Point23Nassau
19Muttontown25Nassau
20Great Neck Gardens26Nassau

Top: GLI file photo

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