Fishers named ‘Best Place to Raise Kids’ in Ind.

The city of Fishers, Ind., was recently named “Best Place to Raise Kids” by BusinessWeek magazine.

According to the BusinessWeek Web site, in order to be considered as candidates, cities should have at least 45,000 residents and a median income between $40,000 and $125,000.

Indiana cities Mishawaka and Carmel came in second and third, respectively.

“I think the advantages of Fishers over the other candidates are primarily focused on education, economic opportunities and property values,” said Scott Faultless, the president of Fishers Town Council. “People come to Fishers in recent decades to seek better educational chances for their children.”

Faultless said that highly educated resident groups in Fishers attract families from all over the state to move in town. In terms of education, he said that high graduation rates, college entrance tests scores and good access to education resources near the state capitol attract new residents.

Also, with proximity to major infrastructure in the metro area, Fishers appeals to new residents especially those with high incomes.

“It is great being recognized by a national magazine,” Faultless said. “And we will continue to see growth in the upcoming year.”

BusinessWeek magazine started conducting an annual study of the best places to raise kids, one from each state in the country in 2006. The winner of “Best Place to Raise Kids” in 2008 in Indiana went to Fort Wayne, the second-largest city in Indiana, which is also known for its well-accommodated 40-acre Children’s Zoo.

“When we are picking the candidates for each state, we look at some factors such as number of schools, household expenditures, crime rates, air quality, employment growth, family income, recreation and parks and diversity,” said Prashant Gopal, editor of BusinessWeek magazine.

Gopal said Fishers excels in some areas that the study weighs the greatest: affordability, safety condition and average school test scores.

Gopal also said they hope the study gives people information about how good the cities they live in are and how it will help the growth of their children.

“The study conducted is fair and objective,” Gopal said.