Three Long Island towns among top 50 Places to Raise a Family in U.S., Niche

Three Long Island communities — down from a dozen last year — landed in Niche’s 2024 ranking of the 50 Best Places to Raise a Family in America.

Nassau towns Kensington, Syosset and Jericho are the sole Long Island holdovers from last year’s list. None of Suffolk’s communities appeared in the top 50.

Niche’s 2024 report, released on Tuesday, has Kensington at No. 7, down four notches from the 2023 list. Syosset is No. 16 (down from No. 5 last year) and Jericho snuck in at No. 49, after ranking No. 14 last year.

Kensington, a 1,400-resident community sandwiched among the Great Necks, received an overall score of A+. Specifically, Kensington received A+ grades in the categories of Public Schools, Crime and Safety, Health and Fitness, and Good for Families. The community received a C for Cost of Living, its lowest grade.

Report: Suffolk County’s best places to live in 2024

Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, was No. 1 on the Best Places to Raise a Family list.

Niche examines and ranks over 18,000 communities in numerous categories as part of its annual Best Places to Live in America report. The report, now in its 10th year, uses data from such sources as the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics and CDC, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, public schools and and walkability are among the key factors. Nearly 230 cities and over 18,000 places were included in this year’s Niche rankings.

One LI community among Top 100 Best Places to Live in America

At No. 45, Great Neck Plaza is the only Long Island community among Niche’s top 100 Best Places to Live in America. Last year, Great Neck Plaza was ranked no. 13 and was among eight Long Island communities in the top 100.

Colonial Village, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., is rated the Best Place to Live in America.

Suffolk’s Sweet 16: Teachers at these school districts get an ‘A+’

“We know that people consider far more than just affordability when deciding where to call home, from neighborhood diversity and weather conditions to career opportunities and the quality of the schools,” said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche.

“Our rankings have always aspired to give families, homebuyers, professionals and retirees the data and insights they need to reliably and confidently discover their next place to live.”

_{Top photo: The conservatory dining area in Rare 650 steakhouse in Syosset.}

Last year’s story

12 Long Island towns among top 50 places to raise a family in America: Niche