Amid debates about the "doom loop" and the mass exodus from the Bay Area, the recent rankings in the U.S. News & World Report – Best Places to Live for Families 2023-2024 show San Jose as a top-two pick for raising families across the nation, soaring with key principles like education and affordability in focus according to the report published today.

Basking in the limelight, San Jose secured the second position just behind Huntsville, Alabama, which claimed the number one spot with striking affordability and an attractive median home price of $349,778 as per KRON4. While Huntsville's average salary of $61,140 is notably lower than San Jose's, it still edges out the national average salary of $58,260, with residents bearing less than 20% of the median annual household income as the cost of living.

San Jose's standing as a leading city for raising families is boosted by its top ranking in education. The metro area ranks first in the college readiness of high school students among the 150 most populous metro areas in the United States. However, attaining such high-quality education comes at a price, with the report revealing that San Jose's residents spend 26.14% of the median annual household income on living costs, and the median home price exceeds a staggering $1.5 million.

On the flip side, San Jose's labor market offers a silver lining – an average salary of $99,430, significantly higher than the national average, softening the blow of the high cost of living. In fact, the boon of being in the heart of Silicon Valley implies a myriad of employment opportunities and synergies amongst its world-class tech corporations and diverse startups. 

Among the list of 25 best places to live for families across the U.S., it's worth noting that no other Californian city made its mark.