Bridgeport Finds Itself Ranked Among Top 10 "Best Cities for Young Familes in West Virginia"
By Jeff Toquinto on January 30, 2015 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
Another Web site, this one geared toward providing financial free and economic well-being for consumers, has listed Bridgeport in a 
ranking of top places to live in West Virginia. This time, Bridgeport cracks the top 10 of nerdwallet.com’s “Best Cities for Young Families in West Virginia” list.
ranking of top places to live in West Virginia. This time, Bridgeport cracks the top 10 of nerdwallet.com’s “Best Cities for Young Families in West Virginia” list.
Bridgeport comes in at No. 10 in the rankings. The site was extremely kind in its description of Bridgeport and paid it one of the highest compliments.
“Bridgeport is the only place on our list with the distinction of a perfect 10 ranking at GreatSchools. Bridgeport’s population also has one of the state’s highest percentages of families with children. The median home value of $195,000, the highest in the top 20, could be linked to Bridgeport’s features, such as the nationally acclaimed Pete Dye Golf Club. The city also made our list of Best Places for Homeownership in West Virginia.”
It should be noted that Pete Dye is just outside the city limits of Bridgeport. It is in the unincorporated section of Meadowbrook. Even with that, City Clerk Andrea Kerr – who just so happens to have a young family with her husband Chris and two girls ages 5 and 3 – said the ratings that come out 
showing Bridgeport as a viable location proves the city is doing something right.
showing Bridgeport as a viable location proves the city is doing something right.
“I think it’s particularly important the city is recognized in a ranking such as this because if Bridgeport is to continue to grow and prosper then it’s going to need to see young families moving into the city and even some young families moving back to the city,” said Kerr. “I think to be in the top 10 shows the path that we’re on is the correct path.”
Kerr said perhaps the biggest compliment came in nerdwallet’s comments about Bridgeport’s school system, which is listed above. Many in the community have cited the city schools as a major factor in coming to Bridgeport.
“There are few better ways to entice a young family to move to a community than to show that you can offer a quality education,” said Kerr. “I think nerdwallet hit the nail on the head when it described just how strong the education system is here in our city.”
The rankings, according to the site, aren’t just based on random guessing or figures. Instead, the site says it used multiple metrics in determining the rankings. The site used the following:
- Home affordability. The site looked at median home value and selected monthly homeowner costs to prioritize affordable communities.
- Prosperity and growth. Looking at current and past family incomes, the site calculated the income of residents, as well as the projected long-term growth of each city.
- Quality of education. The Web site looked at ratings from GreatSchools to find the best schools for young families.
- Family friendliness. This year, the Web site added a new component to their methodology — the percentage of families with school-age children and the poverty rate for young children. This measure helps determine if an area is not only affordable for families, but also if it is a healthy one for children.
Wheeling was ranked No. 1 on the list. Nitro came in at No. 2. A total of 48 cities were included in the study of West Virginia; all of which had a population of 3,000 residents or more. For a complete list of the top 10 and to read more about the rankings, click HERE.
Editor's Note: Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.
