If you’re planning to move and you haven’t quite decided where to live, check out AreaVibes, a cool tool that will help you make the right decision for you and your family. AreaVibes has everything you need to know about every city in the United States! Even if you plan to stay right where you are, see how your city compares to state and national averages.
Just enter an address, zip code, or city name and find information on crime statistics, housing prices, weather, nearby amenities, education, employment, cost of living, etc. It even covers individual neighborhoods within cities, right down to a specific street. Each category contains additional demographic data which can be explored. The list can also be further modified based on the various metrics that are most or least important to you, creating a fully customized list.
AreaVibes provides what they call an overall Livability Score which is rated out of 100 – the closer a city is to 100, the better its livability. No place is perfect; the highest ranked city is Plano, TX, with a score of 88%. Check out the Top 100 Best Cities in America, the Top 10 Best Places to Live, and the 10 Worst Places to Live. AreaVibes could also be a useful social studies resource for homeschoolers studying United States geography! The site includes the following educational pages:
http://www.areavibes.com/library/explore-games-for-kids – Social Studies Games for Kids
http://www.areavibes.com/library/ultimate-weather-resource-guide – Ultimate Weather Resource Guide
http://www.areavibes.com/library/america-trivia-quiz-kids – America Trivia Quiz for Kids
http://www.areavibes.com/library/famous-american-landmarks-kids – Famous American Landmarks for Kids
http://www.areavibes.com/library/liberty-bell – Guide to the Liberty Bell
http://www.areavibes.com/library/guide-to-grand-canyon – Guide to the Grand Canyon
http://www.areavibes.com/library/new-york-historical-resources – New York Historical Resources
http://www.areavibes.com/library/new-york-education-historic-landmarks – New York Historic Landmarks
http://www.areavibes.com/library/new-york-best-field-trip-locations – New York Field Trip Locations
http://www.areavibes.com/library/online-field-trips-for-students – Online Field Trips for Students
http://www.areavibes.com/library/travel-for-kids – Geography Web Quests for Kids
http://www.areavibes.com/library/traveling-the-solar-system – Student’s Guide to the Solar System
And finally…
http://www.areavibes.com/library/best-places-to-bike-ride-in-america – Best Places to Bike Ride in America
http://www.areavibes.com/library/best-places-to-fish-for-kids – Guide to Fishing for Families with Kids
http://www.areavibes.com/library/moving-with-kids – Guide to Moving with Kids